From the end to a new beginning
by Spunkles
Summary: CHAPTER EIGHT NOW UP Enjoy...and don't forget to review. :-D So here you go...hope you enjoy it.
1. From the end to a new beginning

I know I'm burning up.

I can feel this soul lighting me up.

Want to see how it ends, indeed.

I just let her go.

Nothing but death for her here…and I can't have that.

I'm gonna do it right this time.

I'm gonna save them all…because without them…she wouldn't be able to live like I want her to.  Need her to.

Told her she didn't love me…but I saw she did.

I saw the flame that ignited between us…it burned brighter than the sun…. and it didn't hurt. I felt warm and loved.

I felt it with her…and knew she felt it back.

But I know how stubborn she is.  

My stubborn, willful slayer.

This way she'll go…she'll figure it out.

What I want her to do.

She'll live…for me.

They all will…but her most of all.

Pity I'm going though.

Niblet was just starting to warm back up to me.

Don't know if we'd be like we were before…too much in between to ever heal completely

But I'd have liked to seen…

She'll be fine though.

Tough enough to take care of herself that one is…

'Specially now that they see her as somethin' other than a child.

Red'll be fine…magic worked like a charm

Gettin' a good hold on that.  

Don't think she'll hang onto that Kennedy chick for long though.

Seemed a little too soon and it doesn't really look like she loves her.

Best luck for them anyway.

Harris'll do well.  Even with only one eye.

Good thing I'm dying…I'd never mention it at any other time that I like the boy and hope he and ex-demon girl finally get a chance at happiness that they deserve.

Rupert.  Hehe…. any other day.  I'd tell Rupert off.  But since he'll never hear this…he was a good sort.  Took care of my girl the way a father should have.  Glad they reconciled, I am.  They need one another…and if I'm not there for her…I hope he will be.  At least to check up on her.

World full of slayers now…

It's gonna be a whole different ball game now.

Really wish I was gonna stay now.

It'd be worth it to watch.

It's getting worse…

I can feel my body pulling apart.

Shocked I've lasted this far…. should have been dust by now.

Everything's destroyed down here.

This bloody beam I have beaming out of my chest is causing the Hellmouth to collapse in on itself.

Guess I was telling Buffy the truth when I said I had to do the cleanup, huh?

Weird thing…

Thought finally dying would bother me.

It's not.

I'm doing the right thing.

And I'm proud…glad to do it.

Bugger it…I'm a bleeding white hat after all.

I laugh as I feel my flesh tearing apart…the fire has consumed me now.

End of the line…

I love you Buffy!

Ashes to Ashes…

Dust to Dust.

Then everything turns black.

*****

Thought it'd be dark and dank here.

Loss of hope itself and all that rot.

Started out like that.

Then I guess I opened my eyes.

Hey…I still got eyes!

Wonder what else is intact?

Everything's here…completely intact…still have my treasured duster.  Should have given it to Buffy so she could remember me by...oh well.  

What am I doing here?

Where am I here?

I look around…it's kinda like the tomb on unconsecrated ground, Buffy and Caleb fought in… although not as dark.

It's marble and light in here.

Is that sunlight?

Shouldn't I be on fire?

**_The sun cannot harm you here…lower being_**.

Spike spins around, but doesn't see anyone.

"What the bloody hell?"

We are nowhere and everywhere…you will not see us unless we wish to be seen.  Do you understand vampire?

****

"I understand you're annoying me.  What do you want?  Or is this my hell…to be tortured by you?"

He does not understand.

"How can I understand if you don't talk to me…and why don't you appear already.  I feel like I'm talking to myself again…and after getting my soul back…I did way more of that than I ever want to do again.  Got it?"

He is very uncivilized sister…

It is part of his charm brother…

"Today would be nice," Spike muttered.

Two figures appeared several feet before him, on top of a pedestal.  The first was a man and the second a woman.  Both appeared to be in their mid twenties and humanoid…but Spike was pretty sure that this wasn't the case.  And their gold and silver intertwined bronzed skin was merely a testimony to the case.  Their clothing appeared ancient…toga-like to Spike's estimation.

"What are you?"

Don't you mean whom?

"I'm fairly certain I said what I meant?"  
  


See brother…charm.

Spike rolled his eyes and looked around.

"Where's the exit?"  
  


You can only reach this chamber by being summoned by us.  Changes had to be made since the incident.

"Incident?"  
  


That is none of your concern.

Do not act that way brother…it doesn't matter if he knows or not.

The female stepped down and walked towards Spike.

Our predecessors where murdered by a demon who gained access thru the old system.  So now, we do not allow access…we merely pull you if we need you and send you where we want you to go afterwards.

Spike nodded.

"And you would be?"  
  


You may call us the Oracles.

The male stepped down and joined the female.

"What was your name before?"  
  


It is what we are…we were created, because the previous Oracles had been killed.  We have now assumed their positions.  We had no names before.

"Lovely…why am I here?"

We have use for you.  

"What…no…I'm finished.  I did my job…I did the right thing…so off to hell I go, right?"

Your work is not finished.

"Uhh… maybe you missed the big…light Spike aflame moment…but I'm pretty sure I died."

You did.

"See…dead equals finished."

No…dead equals one task is finished.  Your next task waits for you.

"Bugger that."

The female laughed.

She turned to the male and said something that Spike could not hear.

The male shrugged and they turned back to Spike.

We are ready to send you.

"Hold up…send me where?"  
  


Send you to your next task, of course.

Spike sighed.

"Not worth the bother of telling you off, is it?"  
  


Not really.  

"Do I get any information about this next task?  Will I be myself?"

More or less.

"That sounds comforting."

I believe I shall be much entertained by your next assignment, lower being.

"The name is Spike."

The male rolled his eyes.

The female laughed again.

"You both seem a bit more…shall we say…less rigid for superior beings and all."

Our predecessors weren't as…

"Humanish?"  
  


Exactly… but they didn't last.  When we were created…we were installed with humor and it appears jealousy.

The male glared at the female…but refused to answer.

He turned towards Spike, who was smirking at him.

It is time for you to go.

'Are you going to tell me about my assignment?"

You will figure it all out soon enough.

"Oh great."

Go with light, lower being.  Champions for the side of the good are always useful.

"And do you remember that light plus vampire equals toasty pile of ashes?"  
  


We remember.

"So?"  
  


Things change.  

"Very nice…and cryptic…have you been getting lessons from Angelus?"

Both beings smiled and the female and male raised their outer hands.

"What are you doing?"  
  


Sending you on your way.  And… Spike?

"Yes?"

No staking the first vampire you see.

"What the…."

Spike's fall into unconsciousness stopped his question.

*******

The first noise he heard was breathing.

Deep, ragged, labored breathing.

He wondered who was making the sound…but couldn't get his eyes opened to look around.

He concentrated on his other senses instead.

He could tell there were others in the room with him.

Their intentions…he wasn't sure…he didn't even know where he was.

He did sense a vampire though…a familiar one…but something was wrong with his senses.  He knew it was there…that it was probably someone he knew…but he couldn't detect whom through smell.  Weird.

The breathing was still the strongest sound in the room.

Small murmurs of the other's voices drifted down to him.  All voices merged into one voice, so he only caught a little of what they said,

" Is he the one she spoke of…. do you know…. who is he… he seems familiar."

Spike slowly opened his eyes…. to see three people staring down at him.

People he'd never seen before…but they all seemed to be human…two guys…one white with glasses…sort of Watcher-y looking, one black, kind of tough guy looking, and a girl…pretty he guessed, tall and skinny…none seemed to be a threat to him, so he wasn't worried about them.  

But where was the vampire he was sensing?

He looked past them at the room.

Which was stark white.  No windows…didn't appear to have any walls either…no doors…no ceiling…just whiteness…everywhere.

Where the hell was he?

They were still talking around him…they seemed to be just as confused as him being there as he was about being there.  They were wondering whom he was, that much he could discern.  The guy with the glasses thinks he has an idea of whom he may be…wonder if he really knows, Spike wondered.

He was about to mention who he was, when he realized that the breathing he had heard before was his.

I'm breathing.

Breathing?

Me…I'm breathing!!  Bloody hell!!

He tried to stop breathing and a painful feeling entered his lungs so he let go and let them do their job.

Wow…breathing.  Hey…does that mean I'm alive?  He listened and heard a heartbeat.  Wow, he thought.  Well they weren't kidding when they mentioned more or less, huh?

Spike was just getting over the shock when he looked at the group above him and said,

"Who are you?"

"Well we were just asking you the same thing?"

"I'm…."

"He's Spike," a voice said from the side of the room.

Spike turned his head at the voice to glare at Angel.

"No bloody way," he shouted.  He was about to get up when he realized that he was naked.

"Very funny," he shouted at the ceiling.

"Much in the way of a brand new baby boy Spike, you've been delivered to us...dressed in your birthday suit."

Spike merely glared at Angel.

Lilah came into the room, blinked in like the rest of them; in her arms she held clothes.  She stooped next to Spike.

"Welcome to our…. organization, Mr. Spike.  Here's some clothes for you…"

"Thanks Doll."

Spike pulled on the pants that he was given, but when he was putting on the shirt, he noticed that the trinket that had helped him save Buffy and the Sunnydale crew and destroy the Hellmouth still remained around his neck.

He lifted it and looked at it.

Knew this bloody trinket would get me into trouble, he thought.

Then he remembered Buffy.

He smiled softly.

Ah luv…I wonder where you are now.

Spike was interrupted in his musing by Angel who came and stood before him.

Angel growled at him.

"What now?"

"You smell like Buffy."

Spike smirked.

"Is that right?  In that case, I'll never take a bath.  Not to mention, now I'm back…I think I'll go find her."

"You're not going anywhere near her!"

"And you're gonna stop me, how?"

Angel growled and started to attack him.

Spike laughed and threw himself into the fray.

Blows were matched and parried.  Neither side was pulling punches and although both parties were feeling damage…neither side was giving in.  They realized they were quite matched.  Angel vamped out, intending on increasing his strength by using his extra strength.  Spike attempted to do the same, but his face wouldn't morph.  

What the hell, he thought.

Angel saw the trinket that he had given Buffy around Spike's neck and had grabbed at it.

"Get off!" Spike shoved him away from him by placing his foot on his chest and pushing hard.

"Take that off…you aren't any champion," Angel said lunging at him, once he had recovered from the hard shove.

He punched Spike in the nose and when Spike recoiled, he executed a savage blow to the back of his head.  Spike fell to the ground, stunned for the moment, onto his knees and Angel ripped the trinket off of Spike's neck.

Spike fell the rest of the way to the floor gasping in pain.

He felt like his lungs were going to explode.  He couldn't breathe, no matter how hard he tried.  He could feel everything around him going black…and the worst thing; he didn't know what the hell was wrong with him.

"Angel…I think he needs that."

"What are you talking about?"

"Look at him, man, the minute you took that thing away from him he started going downhill fast."

"So?"

"He was sent to us for a reason, Angel, you have to give him that amulet back.  He's gonna die without it."  
  


Angel looked down at Spike…who was starting to turn paler.

Sighing deeply, he reluctantly put the amulet back around Spike's neck.  

Once it was back in place, it sealed itself back together and Spike started breathing normally again.

Seconds later, he regained consciousness.

"What the hell?"

The girl crouched down next to him.

"We're not sure…but we think you might need the amulet to survive."

"Great, just great.  No wonder the bloody pillock thought it would be interesting."

Lilah came back into the room once more and handed a file to Angel and another one to Spike.

"What's this?" both of them asked her.

"It's our information we have on what has happened to Mr. Spike."  
"Just Spike luv?"

Lilah nodded before turning back to Angel to continue.

"We've checked the blood samples…ones we obtained from when the initiative had him captured and matched them against the ones we took when he appeared in the white room…"

"When did you take my blood?"  
"Don't sweat it, they do all sorts of things you can't fathom."

"Lucky me."

Gunn chuckled.

"As I was saying, sirs," Lilah said with a smirk, "we matched the samples and they're the same, except for one difference.

"And what's the difference Lilah?"  
"The demon has been extracted, completely wiped out."

"What?" 

"What?"  
  


"You're no longer a demon Spike…you're all human."

"But my strength is the same."  
"Actually, we believe your strength might be more than it was before.  You were strong before, but Angel was stronger because he was older, right?"

Spike nodded, agreeing somewhat.

"But, " Lilah continued," when you were fighting Angel just now, it didn't appear like he was beating you down all that much.  Looked like your strength might be the same or better."

'Well…if the demon part of me was completely wiped out, why the hell am I still strong?"

"We're still checking it out, but we do have one question."

"What?"  
"When you were being cleansed, wiping out the Turok-han and closing the Sunnydale Hellmouth, did you happen to touch any of the slayers?"  
"Yeah," Spike said with a smile on his face.

"Which slayer?"  
"Buffy."

"Can you tell us exactly what happened?"

Angel turned and attempted to leave the room Lilah told him,

'You might want to stay and find out what he is?"

Angel turned and scowling, crossed his arms across his chest, braced his feet wide apart, and glared at Spike, waiting to hear what had happened and what Spike may now be.

Spike smirked and turned back to Lilah.

"I was fighting the uber-vamps with the slayers when my soul punched a hole in the ceiling and the trinket used my soul as some kind of amplifier, I'm guessing, and a giant beam of light came out of me and dusted them all.  It also started bringing down the building, collapsing the Hellmouth on itself, so the girls ran.  Buffy wanted me to stay, but I told her to go…"

Spike paused and glanced at Angel, before smirking and continuing,

"…. we had some more words, and then I told her to go…she left…I made a couple of quips…and the trinket burned me through and through…. and then I dusted."

"I'm sure there was more than that."

"Well…yeah…but you asked about the battle."

Lilah smiled.

"Okay…when you and Buffy were talking…did she touch you?"

"Yeah…she grabbed my hand and gave it a squeeze…right after I told her I wasn't gonna leave."

"Anything weird happen then?"

Spike thought for a moment.

"Yeah…when our hands were together…a flame rose between our hands…engulfing them in a bright flame…but it didn't hurt.  It was weird, but it felt right…. not to mention there wasn't time to question it, building falling down and all, I just wanted her out of there so she didn't die again."

Lilah looked away for a couple of minutes and then looked back.

"Okay…yep…this new information confirms our belief of what happened."

"Care to explain it to the rest of us?"  
"Yes, what exactly is going on, Lilah?"  
  


"The flame that rose between Buffy and Spike merged a bit of their essences together.  And since it happened during his cleansing and purification…I believe Spike…you've made history again."

"What do you mean?"  
"You are the first, ever, male slayer."

Spike's mouth dropped open.

"Bugger me."

Lilah laughed and looked at Angel.

"Seems like we have a new player in town, Sir.  Where shall we set him up at?"  
  


Spike looked only slightly interested.  Being the whole ONLY male slayer, ever, was a bit humbling for him.  Fred came up to him and helped him sit down, before he fell down.  Spike barely noticed her.

Angel growled and told the rest he was going out.

Lilah stopped in front of him.

When he vamped out, she shrugged and merely said,

"Are we forgetting the whole, I'm already dead and you don't scare me thing again?  Cause really boss…it's getting kind of tired."

Angel sighed and un-morphed, barely keeping his anger in check.

"What.  Do.  You.  Want.  Lilah?" he asked her

"I asked you a question, boss.  Where should we set him up?  The hotel."

Spike came out of his daze then…and hearing Lilah's suggestion had no choice but to answer.

"No bloody way.  I'm not staying anywhere near this poofter.  You'll just have to find me somewhere else to live.  Hey…I'm human now…that means…I can get a place…and NOT invite you in," he said to Angel…giving him his traditional smirk.

Fred and Gunn laughed.

Lilah smirked.

Wesley did neither, but his eyes were definitely laughing.

"I don't care where you set him up Lilah…just do it.  I'll be at the hotel if you need me.  And Spike?"

"Yes Dead Boy?"  
"Don't push me boy!"

"Oooh…I'm shaking.  The big bad fluffy vampire with a soul is scaring me.  Whatever shall I do…Oh wait…I'm a Soddin' slayer…. the only one…well…only male one that is…I'll just STAKE it."

Angel growled, turned, and strode off, his coat billowing behind him.

Spike chuckled.

"Well that was fun.  What's next on the agenda?"

'You had an agenda?  You just got here."  
"Well…I didn't really…but pissing off Angel is always top priority on my list.  Makes for a healthy slayer."

Gunn and Fred laughed again.

"I'm Gunn…Charles Gunn…but just call me Gunn…everyone does."

"Nice to meet you."

He turned and looked at Fred.

"And who are you darling?"  
Fred giggled.

"I'm Fred…Winifred…nice to meet you."  
"Pleasure's mine."

He turned towards Wesley.

He seemed familiar to Spike…but he couldn't quite place it…and then it hit him.  He looked like Giles.

He started laughing.

"And what's so very funny?"

"You remind me of Rupert."

"Rupert Giles?"

"Oh you've got to be a watcher.  Whose watcher are you mate?  And when did watchers…or ex-watchers, become so rugged looking like?"  
"I'm Wesley Wyndam-Price…and once I was Buffy and Faith's watcher.  And I haven't been a watcher for some time now…so I don't have to keep up to their dress or conduct codes."

"Oh…you're the one that got sent back when you couldn't cut it as a watcher and Buffy quit the council.  Yeah…I heard about that.  And you."  
"Really?"

"Barely."

"Oh…I have to say…this is fascinating.  William the Bloody, scourge of the underworld…slayer of two slayers…now first male slayer ever."

"That would be me."  
"Do you mind if I take notes and interview you for my journals?"

Spike sighed.

"Sure…why not?  Hold up…you're not gonna be MY watcher, are you?"

Spike looked him up and down, and Wesley was reminded of the way Buffy and Faith had both eyed and looked him over when he had first became their Watcher.  
"Well…we'd have to contact the council and check…this is all unchartered territory…what?  Why are you shaking your head?"  
"First of all…. you were fired…they wouldn't want to hear from you anyway…am I right?"

Wesley shrugged and at Spike's intense look he nodded, reluctantly.

"Second…there is no more council."

"Of course there's a council…there's a main base in England."

"No…there WAS a main base in England. It's gone now…agents of The First blew it up while they were in session.  Sorry to give you bad news…but only a bit of you are left."

Wesley's face went blank…

"Oh."

Spike sighed and looked towards the other two.

They just looked back at him.  He was about to go ask him how to get out of the room when Wesley touched his shoulder.

He turned and looked at him

"Yeah?"  
"When was this?"  

"A couple of weeks ago…. didn't Giles call and tell you?  Or Willow…when she came up here to gather Faith and stick a soul back into ole Angelus?"

"No…I guess they were busy…wait…you said Giles is still alive?"  
"He should be.  He was fighting up top…so I'm only hoping they all still made it.  And if he hasn't gone back to England yet, they should be somewhere…on the road I guess.  Can't go back to Sunnydale if they tried."

"Why not?"  
"Didn't you hear me tell you it's gone?  I collapsed it.  The amulet closed the Hellmouth for good…by closing it in on itself."

"So they'll probably be in touch soon…"

"I hope so."

Spike smiled again at the thought of his slayer…not to mention seeing Niblet again…. and Willow.  He wouldn't mention seeing Xander…he even stopped himself from thinking about being glad if he had made it.  Not to mention seeing Ripper again.  He may not be thrilled with him, on account of the whole trying to kill him plot with Wood, but…he could rub his slayerness in his face for sure.  He almost couldn't wait to see the expression on Giles's face…he was sure to clean those glasses of his a million times.  And actually…I'd love to see Xander again.  Just so I can rub my new slayerness in his face as well.  When he finds up I'm a real champion he's so gonna flip.  Jeez…my pet has me sounding like her now… sodden, stubborn, lovely, wonderful slayer.  Hold up.

He turned to Wesley.  

"You want to confer with Giles about me…don't you?  Pool your resources about the phenomena that is the second vampire with a soul, turned male slayer."

Wesley looked a bit sheepish as he mentioned, "Yeah."  
  


Spike laughed and turned towards the other two.

"Someone please get me out of this room."

They laughed and led him to the exit.

As they were exiting the elevator into the main lobby Spike remembered something.  

Now he had put on the shirt and socks and boots he had been brought, in the elevator, but he kept feeling like something was missing.

His mind flashed back to Angel leaving, upstairs, his long coat billowing out behind him…and that's when it hit him.

"OH BLOODY HELL!!!"

"What is it?  What's wrong Spike?"  
"Those sodding wankers took my sodding duster.  I had that bloody thing with me for twenty-six years…. and now it's gone.  They just had to let it dust…doesn't matter if a bloke fights all evil and badass impulses and fights on the side of the good and all.  Nah… his prized duster gets taken away by some toga wearing superior beings for a bloody joke.  Ya should have just sent me to hell," Spike muttered before turning to the rest of the group, his eyes flashing dangerously.

"Someone find me a demon quick," he said, his voice clipped and barely containing the anger he felt."

"Why?"

"I need to kill something."

Now, now champion…calm down.  Your prized duster was a mere sacrifice for the new life you are to embark on.  Besides…you took that from another champion…we couldn't let you keep it.

"Get out of my head," Spike roared.'

Gunn, Fred, and Wesley looked at him questioningly, but neither was willing to mess with the former demon and current male slayer when he was in such an obviously bad mood.

"I'll be back," was all they got as he strode out the doors of the building.

He stopped and closed his eyes.  

His body tuned itself to what he wanted and he turned and started running.

He burst into an abandoned warehouse a couple of blocks away.

He smashed a wooden crate nearby the entrance to get his wood and stalked into the warehouse with a purpose.

Twenty minutes later, he was feeling much, much better. 

He had kicked a lot of demon ass.

And he had been so brutal in his pummeling, that a few of the vampires he had fought had ran out of the building, preferring to burn to death than suffer the punishment he was doling out.

Spike strolled out of the warehouse and walked back to the Wolfram & Heart Office building, whistling.

He spotted Gunn, Wesley, & Fred standing by the front door where he had left them.

He smiled at them.

"I feel much better now.  What do they have to eat around here?  I'm starving," he said as they walked off towards the doorway that an assistant coming to show them the way to the kitchen, lead them.

"A bloke could get used to this," Spike stopped to mutter as he walked through the doorway.  "One more vote for the white hats team."  

Then they walked through the doorway, leaving the lobby behind them.

~~~~~~~: -D~~~~~~~~


	2. Second Chapter What's in a name?

**Second Chapter: What's in a name?**

A/N: For those who have written and told me you liked it…thanks.  : -D I wrote it originally as a stand-alone piece…to kind of go with my other short fic - Live (which are Buffy's thoughts at the end of chosen)…. but since a few asked for more…I decided to write more for you.  Aren't I sweet? : -D   And to those of you still waiting for Untitled's next part, The Final R - Resurrection… it'll be up within the week…or so…I'm just putting the finishing touches on it.  Thanks for reading!!! And please review…I love hearing from you.   ~ Spunkles

***

After Spike had seen around the facility, with Gunn and Fred as tour guides, Wesley pulled him aside.  

"Now that you've eaten, etc.  Can I test your abilities?"

"I knew there were gonna be times that being a Slayer sucked… I just didn't think they'd start so soon."

"Being a Slayer, Spike, is not all about killing demons, you know.  It's about being chosen for the side of the good, honing all your inherent abilities, and…"

Spike interrupted what was to be the beginning of a long lecture on worthiness.

"Hello…enough with the speech.  I was a demon for over 120 years.  I know a good deal about a lot of them.  Also…I'm not a newbie to the evil-good battle.  So stop treating me like a brand new player.  Alright?"

Wesley nodded his head.

"Glad we're on the same page.    Now…I'll give you the right to train me…I want to check out this strength I seem to have.  But don't think I'm gonna let you rule me…two people have that right…and only those two."

"Which two?"

"Myself, of course, and Buffy."  
"You let her rule you?"  
Spike gave him a look.

"I listen to her…sometimes I do what she says.  I'm in love…and I'm man enough to claim to be love's bitch…understand?  Doesn't mean I'm gonna take any slack from people I could pick up and toss across the room.  Got it?"  
  


Wesley nodded.

"Good.  Now… before we get into this test Spike until he's ready to kill you, how about you get on the horn and call up any watcher contacts, still surviving that is, and see if we can locate my group."

"Well…while you were getting your tour and eating, I called one of my contacts in Cleveland."

"That's right…there is a Hellmouth there."

"Right…I'm guessing they'll probably go there.  And if Giles has the same contact I have, they'll give us a call.  If not…I have other contacts."

Spike just gave him a look.

Then said, "Can I get a phone?'

One of the assistants appeared at his side instantly with a cell phone.

"Thanks," he said to the young male as he took the phone.

He turned it on and dialed out, where he was silent for a few seconds before saying,

"I wanna speak to Slythin."

He listened to the reply before saying,

"If you don't get him and bring him to the phone, I'll come down there and personally rip your middle bloody head off and ram it down your first." 

He listened again.

"Thought you'd see it my way ya bloody ponce."

Seconds later.

"Slythin? Spike.  Yeah…. thought you'd remember me.  What kind of bloody demon you got answering the phones for you?"

Spike burst out laughing at whatever Slythin said.

"Right, right…well of course I'm checkin' up on ya…oh…heard all about that, did you?  But you're family, so ya can't turn your back on me whether you want to or not."

Spike listened to Slythin talk some more.

He was nodding and smiling.

"Right, right…look.  I'm looking for someone…. or actually a group of some ones.  Slayers…The Slayer, her watcher the second slayer, a band of demon fighters and a whole new group of activated slayers."

After a pause he continued.

"Now, now…brother of mine…keep acting like that and I'll have to think of an appropriate punishment.  I could rip out your heart…or…what was that?"  
  


Spike laughed again.

"Yeah, yeah…you have tabs everywhere.  I just want to locate them…not have them murdered off. If any one of your contacts touches my girls…and the rest of the bloody lot…you'll have me to contend with.  And I've got to tell you…I've changed quite a bit."

"Who are you callin' a Nancy?  That does it…I'll be there in…. a day or two.  I'll get to town and kill every last one of you…. what?  Oh you didn't mean it…. I thought not.  Scared…. of little ole me, are you?    You better be.  Now…as I was saying…give this number a call…. oh come off it…you know every number that ever calls you.  Hell…you probably are so wired up, you know probably know exactly where I am and what's happened to me in the last four years.  Am I right?"

He listened a little longer.

"That's what I thought.  Now…I'll find a way to hook you up…I told you…you're family and all.  I know…why don't you send the bill to Angelus.  After all…we're all kin."

Spike laughed harder at whatever the answer was.

"Good to hear from you too Slythin…it's been way to long in between.  Bye."  
  


He hung up the phone and the assistant returned to pick it up and take it with him.

"I need that phone immediately if he calls."  
  


"Yes Mr. Spike," the young man said, before disappearing.  
  


Spike watched him go and shrugged…he'd ask the rest later.

He turned to Wesley.

"My contacts will let us know if anyone spots my group."

"Who is Slythin?"  
"Family."

Wesley gave him a look.

"I don't remember reading anything about a Slythin in the Watcher's books on you."

Spike smirked at him.

"Yeah…and Watchers know everything about demons, right?"

Wesley looked a little sheepish.

"That's what I thought.  You don't know about him cause I picked him up around the 1950's… me and Dru that is.  We didn't really make it all that known…only those who knew about him were us…and our minions, of course.  Are we gonna find me a place to live now?"  
"Uh…yes…. sure.  Let's go check with Lilah."

Lilah appeared in front of them.

"Here's some places you might want to stay…and we've got you a replica of your Desoto, blacked out windows replaced with regular windows, so you can see out of them.  We also need to know who you'd like to be."

"Who I'd like to be?"  
"We're getting you an identity.  And we need you to choose a name so we can get you a drivers license, social security number, passport, background, etc."

"Oh…hmmm…Well…I think I'll keep my first name."

"Okay sir," she turned to the side, and then turned back.

"We need to get you a last name now."

Spike thought about it…he really didn't want to use his own last name…. it was too long ago, and he was by far a different person.  As he thought about it a great last name came to him.  It was going to royally piss of Angel…. which was a plus, any way he looked at it.  Hell, he was even sure it was gonna piss of Giles, when he heard it, and not to mention Xander.  That alone was a deciding factor for him.  But, it would connect him to his favorite people more and more."

He smiled widely.

"I can help you pick out a name if you like," Wesley told him.  "Wyndam-Price is a wonderful name."

"If I ever felt like eating paste, maybe."

Wesley gave him a glare.

Spike laughed.

"I'm teasing…ya know.  No thank you…I've got a name picked out."  
  


He turned to Lilah…

"Summers.  I want my last name to be Summers. But don't make me a relative of Buffy and Dawn's…. alright?"  
  


Lilah laughed and nodded, knowing why he didn't want to be any sort of relative.  

"Still hoping sir?"  
"Well, she accepted my hand once before, maybe she'll do it again, given time.  True, it was a spell…and we were both repulsed after, but things have changed."  
  


Lilah turned her head again and then turned back.

"It has been done.  When would you like to go look at the choices we selected for you?"  
  


He turned to look at Wesley.

"Am I allowed to go now, Oh mighty watcher?"  
  


Wesley gave him a 'you're-ticking-me-off' look.

"I'm not your keeper," he said huffily.

"Good to know," Spike said laughing.

He then looked toward Lilah,

"Lead the way…oh…wait…can we go tell Angel my new last name first."

The look on his face reminded both Lilah and Wesley of a little child with a juicy secret to tell.

They both laughed.

"If you're gonna go piss him off…wait, let me get Fred and Gunn…they asked specifically to be there when you and Angel go at it again."

Spike laughed.

"Well, if you have to go through all that trouble, than I'll go find a place first…. then I'll piss off Angel later."

They nodded and went about their task 

***

Back at the hotel, Angel had worked himself into a frenzy down in his workout room.  

_Spike._

_Spike a champion._

_Spike a champion who touched my Buffy._

He knew he had to calm down.

And this wasn't the way to do it.

Spike touched your precious Buffy right before he died…and now those two are irrevocably mixed together.  He completely stole your Shanshu right out from under your grasp.

_That so must suck._

And the fact that his inner demon was delighting in torturing him about the events wasn't helping him out any.

He began savagely beating his punching bag…and knocked it off the chains and across the room.

Damn, he thought.

He walked over to where the punching bag was and when he got to it…the room disappeared.

He rose, looking around.  

The white marble, the pillars, this place was awfully familiar.

When the two Oracles stepped down from the pedestal he groaned.

Then he noticed they were different than before.

**_Welcome lower being._**

**_Do you know who we are?_**

****

"I'm going to bet you're the Oracles.  But they were murdered…I saw their bodies."

**_Yes…we were called after our predecessors were murdered.  You will deal with us from now on._**

****

"I'd rather not deal with any of you.  You steal Cordelia and now she's stuck in a coma we don't know if she'll ever wake from.  I had to fight on of you reborn, and when my son took her out, I had to make a deal with the devil, well, Wolfram & Heart, and kill my son to give him a better life…. one where he doesn't even know I exist.  And I can't see him ever again.  And now…you dump what used to be my errant vampire childe and bind him irrevocably to my slayer.  My slayer.  What did you use to bind them anyway?"

**_Do not ask, vampire, you will not like the answer you receive._**

****

"Tell me," Angel all but roared.

**_Very well, but do not say we didn't warn you.  It was love._**

****

Angel roared and looking for something to crush or smash, found nothing, of course.  So he walked over to the nearest pillar and slammed his fist into it.  Causing the marble pillar to crack and pieces to shatter and fall from it.

Well…that was pretty pointless.  Why must we deal with these emotional beings sister?

They fight for us, brother.

I still don't know why we bother.

It is not our duty to wonder.  We cannot understand their emotions, Brother, cause for the most part we do not have them.

"I'm still here you know," Angel said.

Have you calmed down somewhat now, lower being?

 What did you call me here for?"

To give you instruction of course.  

"What instruction?"  
  


For your assignment.

"What are you talking about?"

You were chosen to bring up the champion…teach him, as it were.

"You're talking about Spike aren't you?"  
  


Yes.

"I'm not doing it."

You have no choice.  It is your destiny.  It is what you were chosen to do.  Put aside your petty differences and emotional outbursts and embrace your destiny.

"You told me that it was my destiny to achieve Shanshu."

Did we tell you that?

"It was in the scroll."

But did the scroll mention your name?

"It said the vampire with a soul."

And a vampire with a soul did achieve Shanshu…did he not?

"It was supposed to be me."  
  


It is not our fault if you misinterpret a passage.  Shanshu occurred to the individual it was supposed to occur to…the vampire with a soul that performed the ultimate sacrifice and saved the world at the same time.  If the scroll had mentioned your name, than you would have right to be upset.  Since it did not…you do not.  Are you ready to receive instruction now?

Angel walked over to another pillar and slammed his fist through it.

Are you sure we should use this one, Sister?  His mind doesn't seem to work well enough for him to be a teacher to anyone.

Now, now brother.  Baiting him won't help.  He's upset…he thought Shanshu was his destiny.  It might be a while before he calms down enough for us to talk to him.

Then we'll call him again, once he's calmed down.

Angel turned to talk to them about… and found himself back in his workout room in the basement of the hotel.

He growled…and then picked up his punching bag and reattached it.

After slamming against it repeatedly for another half n hour, until he calmed down somewhat, he then made his way slowly up to his room to shower and redress.

****

After they had been looking for about an hour and a half, Spike found a place that he liked.  One that was nearby the hotel and the Angel's hotel, not to mention the city, but far away enough for privacy and sort of quiet…. like Sunnydale used to be, minus the many demons.

"I like this place," Spike had told Lilah after they had checked it out.

Lilah turned her head to the side and a young woman came through the door moments later.  She handed Lilah a briefcase and walked out.

"Efficient little squad you have?"  
"We pride ourselves with doing our best."

"I can see that."

Lilah smiled at him and then handed him the paper work.

Spike looked at it and read it over.

"I have to sign this?"

"No sir…it's just your copy.  Here are your keys."

"Thanks. Now…where do I get furniture from?"  
"We're heading to a furniture store now."

"Real efficient."

"We aim to please."

Spike laughed and they headed out.

******

Hours later, the group met in the hotel lobby. 

Angel had calmed down, sort of, but hadn't as of yet been called in front of the Oracles again.  He was lounging in a corner, drinking a warm mug of blood, waiting for the group to come.

Fred came downstairs next.  

Wesley, coming in the front door, saw her walking down the stairs.

Wesley grinned at her, and then remembered that he wasn't really supposed to…things were still iffy between her and Gunn.

Fred grinned toward him and then looked toward Angel.

"Hi Angel…what's the meeting about?"  
"I'll let you know when everyone's here.  Is Gunn coming?"  
"Present," Gunn said walking in the door.

"Is that everyone?" Angel said.

"Nope…you're forgetting one," Gunn said.

"Who now?"  
"Blond kid…about so high…used to be a vampire…and your errant childe…now the first known male slayer…I'm sure you remember him."

Angel growled.

Gunn laughed.

"Oh yeah…you remember him."

Angel pulled out his cell phone.

"Lilah…we're having a meeting…where is he?"  
Spike burst through the doors of the hotel.

"I'm here, I'm here…keep your pants on Peaches."

"What took you so long?"  
"Had to get furniture and all to fit out my new flat, didn't I?  Can't have shabby digs now that I'm all special."  
  


Angel rolled his eyes and continued.

"Now that we're all here…and have the Wolfram & Heart team backing us up, does anyone have any idea what we should do about Cordy?"  
"Cordy?"  
"I'm sure you remember her Spike."

"Cordy?  Do you mean the brunette, waspish cheerleader that used to smooch on the Whelp?"  
"Yes…Cordelia used to go with Xander."  
"Yeah…I'm sure Anya loved the memory of that."

"Look…she's in a coma and we've no way of how to wake her up."

"Put her in a hospital."  
"Why?"  
"Didn't they do that to the girl Faith?"

"What do you know about Faith?"  
Spike shrugged.

"She was alright at first…then she opened her mouth…it was great to hit her a few times, though…before I had to leave."

Angel advanced on him.

Spike smiled widely.

Fred stepped in between them both.

She looked at Spike.

"Stop baiting him…you know he's gonna defend her.  I don't know how they put up with you, you're like a little kid, sometimes."

"And you," she turned to Angel, " are letting him get to you way too quickly.  What happened to the calm, vampire we all know and love?"  
"Love?"  
"Shut up Spike."  
"Oooh…girlie has stones.  I like you."  
Fred winked at him and then turned back to Angel.

"He's in the group now…so stop with the male posturing and we can get down to business.  Alright?"  
Angel nodded.

Gunn pulled Fred aside.

"What did you do that for?  I wanted to watch them fight."

Spike walked over to them both and leaned in, saying softly,

"Don't stress…you'll get to see a fight soon.  He won't be able to control himself when I tell him something."

Gunn smiled.

"Tell him then?"  
"Now, now Charles…don't be so eager.  Wait…and you'll see I'll do it at the perfect time."

"Are you two finished?" Angel growled at them.

"We hear you gramps, we hear you.  So if we're not gonna put Cheer girl into the hospital, then what should we do with her?"  
"Wolfram & Heart have an excellent Lab…and I'm sure they've got a great medical ward…we can put her there."  
Angel sighed…he didn't want to…but he also knew that it was probably their best shot.

"Why'd she go all comatose anyway?" Spike asked.

The rest of the crew stopped and blinked.

Not that it was a hard question.

It was like their minds had been erased.

"I'll tell you about it later Spike," Angel said.

Spike shrugged.

He turned to the others.

"So…anyone want to come and see my new apartment."

"Sure."

"You got cable?"

"Direct TV."

"Games?"  
"Got an X-box…and a Playstation 2"

"I'm in."

"I'll come as well…but only if you promise to work on training…"

At Spike's look, Wesley backpedaled.

"Well…okay…we'll make that kind of appointment later."

Gunn laughed.

"Smooth Wesley, real smooth."

"He used to be a vicious vampire, you know."

"I'm shaking."

Gunn looked Spike over.

"I have to say, in his current outfit…he's not striking any fear in my heart."  
Spike looked down.

"I do look like an Abercrombie & Fitch advertisement, don't I?"

"That or a Joe Boxer commercial."  
"Okay…that does it."

Spike stepped towards Gunn menacingly… but although Gunn moved out of his reach, he didn't do anything but laugh.

Fred grabbed the back of Spike's shirt as he passed her.

He turned and looked at her.

"I told you…five.  The both of you act like you're five.  You…stop urging him on.  You…calm down. We'll get you new clothes soon and you can return to your rebellious state.  Alright?"  
Gunn nodded and winked at Spike.

Who grinned in at him in return.

Spike then turned to look at Fred.

"You're kind like Red, without the magic."  
"Red?"  
"Willow."

"Thanks…I've met Willow.  She's great."  
Spike smiled.

"That she is."  
  


They all turned to look at Angel.

"Was that all the meeting was about, Peaches?  Your precious Cordelia?"  
"No…we had word that there has been an increase in demon activity in the South side of the territory."  
"So I guess its time to Rock and Roll?"  
Angel rolled his eyes and the rest of the group snickered.

"Who rides with who," Spike asked?

"My car, we all go in my car, come on," Angel said as they all trooped in and settled in his car.

"This has to be my worst night yet," Spike muttered, "Stuck with my ponce of ex-grand sire and his merry gang of do-gooders, wearing an outfit I wouldn't be caught dead in, and now riding in the Angelmobile.  Someone put a stake in me."  
 Gunn, who was seated next to him burst into laughter.

"I'm gonna like having you here Spikey."  
"Glad I amuse you," Spike said wryly.

Gunn laughed again.

Gunn leaned over, "Can we tell him now?"  
"Not yet…don't worry, before the night is out…Ill tell him."  
"Alright…but I want to be there."  
"You will be."  
  


****

About an hour later, the group trudged back into the hotel.

Most of them were grossly covered in slime, vampire dust, and other various things, none of them wanted to bother figuring out what it was.

"What the bloody hell was all that? Slayer initiation?"

"Well if it was, I gotta say…next time…don't bring me in.  That's the biggest workout I've had in weeks."  
"I'm gonna be showering for weeks," Fred said, heading up to her room.

Spike turned to watch her leave.

"I'm gonna have to borrow someone's clothes…these are ruined."  
Lilah walked in the front door with a duffle bag.

She dropped it at Spike's feet.

"Change of clothes for you."

"Read my mind luv."  
"Wasn't a hard thing to do, I'm betting," Angel drawled from the other side of the room.

Spike turned to look at him and almost said something, then stopped.

"Thanks for the clothes Lilah…I'll be back."  
Grabbing the duffle bag, he headed upstairs to shower and change.

Wesley and Gunn followed after a few minutes.

And Angel was the last to disappear…the need to get clean was very strong.

Half n hour later, they all began to reappear in the lobby.

Angel came in first, followed by Wesley.

Fred, Spike & Gunn all came down the stairs together laughing.

As they reached the lobby, however, the door burst open and a green demon with red eyes and red horns came in.

"Honeys', I'm home."

Fred went running over to him.

"Lorne…welcome back.  We missed you," she told him, hugging him tightly.

"And I missed you too…although I only went to perform for a few days."

Lorne caught sight of Spike.

"And who is this hunk of gorgeousness?"  
Spike blinked and turned to look at Gunn.

"He's always like that," Gunn said, simply.

Spike nodded.

"Who are you?"  
"I'm called Lorne…or you can call me the Host."  
"He's an empath… he helps us and he lives here."

"Seems like almost everybody does."

They nodded.

"So…you got a name Sweet cheeks."  
"You can call me Spike…and I'd beg you never to call me Sweet cheeks."

"Don't have a real name, huh?"  
"Sure I do…everyone's got a name," Spike said winking to Fred, Gunn, & Wesley, who were sitting on the side, waiting for the fireworks to begin, for they knew that the time they had been waiting for had begun.

"So what's your real name?"  
"William."  
"Nice strong name…and your surname?"  
Spike smirked wildly.

"Had to get a new one of those."  
"Don't tell me you forgot your name, Spike?" Angel replied with a sneer.

"Of course I didn't…but like I was telling Wesley and Lilah earlier…I'm not the same person I was.  So I chose me a brand new one."  
"And what's this new last name of yours?"  
Spike's grin got bigger before he leaned forward and said it loud and clear,

"Summers."  
  



	3. Third Chapter: It's all in the moves

From the end to a new beginning – Third Chapter

The room was silent.

Gunn, Fred, & Wesley waited, half excited and half afraid of what Angel's reaction would be to Spike's statement.

Lilah waited, rubbing her hands together in glee, she felt a huge fight coming…and she couldn't wait.

Lorne just watched silently, he wasn't quite sure what he had just walked in on.

Spike said nothing after his announcement, just sat giving Angel that same self-satisfied smirk.

His expression, not to mention, his announcement was enough to snap Angel's control.

Angel launched across the room in full vampire mode.

His speed used to be too fast for Spike to counteract or dodge, but his new slayer genes had tripled Spike's strength and speed…so he easily dodged Angel and after delivering a perfectly placed roundhouse kick, sent him slamming into and almost through the nearby wall.

Spike laughed and immediately landed in Slayer stance.

Angel noticing the stance, as Buffy's favorite was further enraged.  He was quite sure Spike was only using it to goad him further.

Wesley leaned over and grabbed a pen and paper to take notes.

_This was a perfect opportunity to study Spike, he thought._

Neither Gunn, Lorne, Fred, nor Lilah had taken their eyes off the fight for a second.

Angel had pushed away from the wall and launched himself at Spike.

He punched at him.

But Spike had blocked his punches easily.

Angel used a dirty swiping move to knock Spike off his feet and punched him hard in the stomach.

Spike grunted in pain, but rolled out of the way of Angel's next punch, and landed back into Slayer stance before launching his own series of kicks and punches.  

Once Angel had recovered from Spike's attack, he launched himself, barreling into Spike, once more, slamming him into the wall behind them.

Whatever Angel had expected, it certainly wasn't Spike's mocking laughter.  It was as if all he had done was swat at him…he wasn't even fazed.  

It reminded him of after Spike had been turned & he, Darla, Dru & the boy had had to live in an abandoned mine shaft for a few days because Spike was all about the 'fist and fangs' approach to vampirism.  He had threatened to kill Spike then, & had started to drive a broken piece of the mine's wooden support beam into Spike's heart.  Spike had caught the wood before it could kill him however.  Then, just as Spike was doing now, though, the boy had simply laughed at him.

Angel, unfortunately, during his brief flashback, had momentarily took his gaze off of Spike, who decided to reward him for it by slamming his elbow into Angel's face & when he reeled back, kicked him in the stomach.

Angel doubled over & Spike laughingly charged at him.

And was met with a knee to his own stomach as Angel bounced back to his feet.

Spike was doubled over, clutching his stomach & trying to force his lungs to breathe.

_Wow, he thought.  Now I know what Buffy went through during some of our battles.  Hmmm…he thought, smiling…. Buffy._

Spike shook himself out of his dazed like state.  Angel was advancing on him, looking to inflict more damage.

As Angel reached him, he leaned over to grab him, but Spike ducked under Angel's arms, spinning gracefully, knocking Angel's legs out from under him, and causing him to tumble to the ground.

Angel growled & leaped back up immediately, sending what was going to be a hard body blow to Spike's stomach.

But he was surprised & a little afraid when Spike caught the punch easily, with his left hand, before Angel could inflict any real damage. Spike looked his ex-grand sire in the eyes and winked and before Angel had the time to fathom what to do next, Spike quickly brought his right foot up & placed it over Angel's unbeating heart, kicking him hard. As Angel reeled backwards from the blow, Spike pulled him forwards, for he hadn't released his bone-crushing grip on Angel's hand.  As Angel came forward once again, Spike launched a triple kick and after releasing his grip, delivered two roundhouse kicks, knocking Angel to the floor.

The last few blows had rendered Angel unconscious.

Spike was elated and was bouncing around…happy like.

He looked over and noticed what Wesley was doing and after winking at Fred and Gunn said,

"Oh you've got to be kidding me.  Don't you gits ever take a break on the whole Watcher thing?"  
  


Wesley looked a little sheepish.

Lilah stepped over to Spike.

"Thank you Spike…that was very, very enjoyable.  Have I mentioned that I'm going to love having you here?"  
  


Spike laughed.

"Glad to entertain love."

Lila smiled and disappeared.

Fred, Wesley, and Lorne all went to help pick up the unconscious vampire and take him up to his room.

Gunn waited until they were gone to approach Spike.

"Well…"

"Not bad…good moves."

"Like you could do better?"  
"Naw…I don't have all those fancy…male slayer moves…not to mention the hundred plus years of fighting experience, you've got…but…I could have handled myself."

"Wouldn't be here if you couldn't."

"And you know this."

Spike and Gunn grinned at each other before Gunn said.

"So, how long do you expect him to be out?"  
"Waiting for round two?"  
"Kinda."

"You just love to watch me fight."

"No…I just love to watch you fight Angel."

"And here I thought you liked him."

"Angel…yeah…I like Angel.  Meet Angelus…wasn't my favorite type of guy."

"Not to mention he's insane."

"Yeah…picked up on that."

"Yeah…Angelus is a bloody demented son of a gun…."

Spike stopped and looked at Gunn.

Then started laughing.

Gunn thought for a minute and then gave Spike a you-got-to-be-kidding-me look.

"I know **you** aren't teasing **my** nickname?"  
  


Spike just smiled.

"Got to admit…it was funny."

Gunn rolled his eyes.

"Like I was saying, when do we get to see round two?"  
  


Spike tilted his head to the side and then smiled widely.

"I'd say…"

Angel burst through the archway above, gameface at the full front.

"Right about now," Spike continued as if a mightily ticked off Angelus bearing down on him was nothing.

Gunn laughed and promptly leapt onto the nearest counter top, determined to put himself in a safe position, out of the way of the soon-to-be-fighting warriors.

Lilah appeared besides him, grinning wickedly, apparently news traveled fast in the land of the dead at Wolfram & Heart; she was obviously ready and waiting for the show to begin.

Angel didn't bother taking the stairs, for in his rage, it would have taken him too long to reach Spike.  So, instead, he vaulted over the railing, landing in a crouched position.

Spike laughed and with one eye and all of his senses still on Angel, said to Gunn,

"Okay…I have to give him credit… that was kinda cool.  Reminds me a bit of that 'Matrix Reloaded' flick I saw with the Scooby gang one day while the First was in remission."

Gunn laughed.

"Wouldn't it be neat if he took off and flew around like that Neo bloke did?" Spike continued.

Gunn almost fell off the counter, he was laughing so hard.  Lilah was laughing just as hard as well, but she remained silent.

Spike chuckled and then dodged Angel's high kick as the mightily ticked off vampire had finally reached his side.  Spike then flipped in the air & delivered a high kick of his own to the right side of Angel's head, sending him spinning

Fred, Lorne, and Wesley were just in time to catch the tail end of such a wonderful move and watch as Angel flew across the floor from the force of Spike's well-placed kick.

"Now that's what I call poetry in motion," Lorne said, as they struggled for breath, for they had run down the stairs at top speed.

At the look Fred gave him, he said,

"Well it is if you look at the beauty of their actions, not at what they're actually doing."

Fred rolled her eyes, Wesley chuckled, and Lorne shrugged, figuring that Fred just didn't get it, as they returned their full attention on the battling champions in the area below them.

Angel and Spike were exchanging blows with rapid speed.

Although Angel was doing more punching and kicking than Spike was.  For the most part, Spike was merely blocking, barring the few times when he gave a good kick or punch, connecting with every strike.  His method seemed to be to keep Angel going until he was too exhausted to go on, while not wearing himself out.  Seemed to be working, for Angel was slowing down and Spike still seemed full of energy.

A tired Angel eventually noticed this and stopped swinging at Spike.

Spike dropped his defensive stance and stretched, but didn't take his eyes off of Angel, he knew better than most that there was still a chance that Angel would strike at him.

"Why aren't you hitting at me?  What's your game, Spike?"  
  


"No game.  I'm here cause some sodding Superior beings decided to send me here.  As for me choosing Buffy and Dawn's last name…"

Spike stepped up real close to Angel's face,

"Deal. With. It."

Angel growled, but Spike didn't give him the satisfaction of glaring at him or getting upset.  In fact, he did the opposite.  He winked.

Angel's face melted back into his angelic, human one.

Spike grinned at him.

"Now Gramps…you should be grateful…until I find my slayer and her Scoobies and avert an apocalypse or two, maybe three…we'll see…you've got a slayer of your very own in your merry gang of evil do-gooders."

Angel looked heavenwards.

"What did I do?  Here I try my best to be a good champion.  I don't drink the locals, I save people from demons, I merged with an evil law firm to support your cause…okay, that was less good, but still…I did it to give my son a better life.  Doesn't that account for something?"

"Hold up, you have a son?" Spike asked.  "How the bloody hell did that happen, mate?  Last I heard, creatures of the undead don't get to have cuddly, caring offspring…isn't that the whole reason behind the 'I'll make you my eternal childe' spiel?"

"It was a mystical birth Spike."

"That I figured out all on my own."

Neither vampire was looking at the rest of the members of the LA crew, so they didn't see them mouth to on another 'Son? Angel has a son?'

Angel rolled his eyes at Spike's snarky answer.

"As I was saying…"

"**You** weren't saying anything you poncy git.  **I** was asking **you** questions."

Angel sighed dramatically.

Spike smiled and then continued with his questioning.

"This son of yours, is he human, demon, or vegetable?"

"He's human," Angel said with a wry smile at Spike's questioning phrase, "but he does have remarkable speed and strength…well he did, before the deal…I don't know about now."

"Well…don't you sound all proud and father-ish?"

Angel remained silent, so Spike continued.

"So…where's the prodigal son now?  If he's kin, of some kind, I guess I could make nice.  How old is he anyway?"  
"He's not here," Angel said harshly.

"Don't tell me you tried to do the stupid thing and turn him.  Infant vampires never work out right, you know."

"I didn't try…nor would I try and harm my son, Spike.  I love him, you know."

Spike rolled his eyes.

"So…where is he?"  
"He's… gone.  He's safe.  He's happy."

"Hmmm."

"What?"  
"He's all safe and happy away from you, huh?  That's gotta suck…oh wait…that's you!"

Angel cuffed him upside the head.

Spike rubbed his head, ruefully.  He knew he should have put more feet between himself and Angel.

"Hey now Geezer…that's called abuse nowadays."

"In this family, William, it's called tradition.  Step out of line again & I'll take the strap to you."

Spike gave him a mock-horrified look.

"Not the strap," he wailed before falling to his knees, grabbing at Angel's calves.

"Please Grandpa Angelus…not the strap.  I'll be good.  I won't drop my chalkboard in the water ever again."

Gunn, Wesley and Lilah burst out laughing, while Fred and Lorne gaped at them.

Angel, obviously, however, was not amused by Spike's antics and merely glared down at him.

The picture they made was so ridiculous that Fred fell to the ground, holding her stomach as she laughed.

"I'll give you the cane in a minute boy," Angel told him, trying to shake Spike off his legs.

"Nooooo," Spike yelled.  Cowering on the floor, playing his part for all to see.

Angel was beyond fed up.  His crew was in various parts of the room laughing so hard they were soon to be sick and his ex-errant-vampire-childe-turned-first-male-slayer was doing his damn best to keep them in stitches and him in a ridiculous position.

"Get up," he told Spike, attempting to pull him up by the back of his shirt.

Spike wouldn't let go of his legs.

"Promise you won't beat me Grandpa.  I'll not get up until I hear you promise."

Angel sighed heavily.  He knew what he had to do, but he was so loathe having to say it.  He'd rather knock Spike out, but he knew that Spike was ready for that.  And he didn't want Spike attached to him like he was currently all night, so he said, 

"I'm not gonna beat you William.  Please get up."

Spike bounded to his feet, grinning widely.  He looked Angel in the eye and winked.

Angel looked heavenwards once again.

"Was I really that horrible?  There's no way in heaven or hell that I was as horrible as this torment is to me.  Do I truly deserve this?"

After receiving no answer after waiting a minute or two in the same position Angel sighed and lowering his head muttered,

"Must do."

Spike snickered as he walked past a depressed looking Angel and ran up the stairs, picking Fred up off the ground and bringing her back down the steps, to place her on the couch.

When they could breathe again, Fred thanked Spike for the lift and told him he ought to behave more.

Spike merely winked at her, but shook his head.  

Who wanted to behave when they could have all sorts of fun torturing Angel, he thought.

Gunn sat down next to him and said, 

"Not as much fist and fangs…but very funny."

"Glad you were entertained…and can't really do the fist and fangs bit anymore.  I's fangless now."

Gunn looked at him and said, "So you are.  Gonna have to come up with a new slogan than."

"Already got it."

"Well then, share with the group…what is it?"

"Spike…the vampire slayer."

"Oh and that is oh so original."

"It's not…is it?  Okay…Spike the Mighty Hero?"

"My god that's worse."

"Why don't you find one then, bloody ponce?"

Gunn laughed.

"I'm thinking, I'm thinking."

Lorne walked over and sat down next to them.

"Well doll, I have to say…I loved the show.  If you ever want to get into acting, with your gorgeous accent, hot good looks, and sizzling blue eyes…not to mention that talent, I'm sure I can have an agent over here like that," Lorne told Spike, snapping his fingers to emphasize his point.

Spike merely laughed.

"Thanks," was all he said.

He turned back to Gunn.

"Well…soon as we figure out a title for me, I've got the perfect narrative for it."

"This I've got to hear…come on…share."

"I can hear people bragging about me already:

He was once a most powerful and vicious master vampire…creating terror and mayhem wherever he went.  Until he met a girl…but not just any girl…it was the slayer.  Not that he hadn't met slayers before; hell, he had killed two of them many years before. This one, however… he couldn't defeat…because he fell in love with her.  And it was such love that caused him to do the right thing.  He even got a soul for her, so he could become a better man.  And when the world was about to be swallowed up by the notorious Sunnydale Hellmouth, he sacrificed himself, for her and her friends and the world, closing the Hellmouth for good.  But his task just wasn't finished.  The Oracles sent him to his ex-grand sire, the poofy Angelus, to join their crew, fighting the good fight as the first male slayer ever, until he could…

Okay…I guess I have to stop there…. I'm not sure what the next part of my story would be…haven't lived it yet."

"You are so insane."

Spike winked.

"But you liked it didn't you."

"Have to say I did.  Got the champion part in there without mentioning it."

"Yeah I did, didn't I?"

"I have been sitting here listening to your nonsense for way too long, Spike."

"No one told you to stay.  Shouldn't you be sleeping now, anyway?  Wouldn't want you to get crispy fried by a stray beam of light…hold up…on second thought…why don't you come and take a stroll with me by the front door Angelus."

Angel glared at him.

Spike and Gunn chuckled.

"Now, back to you and me…we were trying to find me a title.  There has got to be something that sounds good."  
  


"Oh someone put in a stake in me."

Spike hopped up off the couch, whipping out a stake and heading toward Angel with a happy glint in his eyes.

"Spike…what are you doing?" Angel asked, backing away as quickly as Spike was advancing.  

Angel had recognized the look in his eyes that he'd only really ever scene in Buffy's eyes when she was really about to get in a good kill.

"I'm granting your wish, Peaches."

"And just what wish was that?"

"You asked for someone to put a stake in you.  And as I am a slayer, I feel it is my duty, to do just that.  You know the drill…slayer plus vampire equals dust.  Now stop running…it's not nice to make me chase you all over such a nice hotel."

Spike took a couple more steps towards Angel, boxing him into a corner of the room, when he heard,

"WILLIAM…I DON'T KNOW YOUR MIDDLE NAME…SUMMERS.  PUT THAT STAKE DOWN THIS INSTANT AND SIT BESIDE CHARLES."

He turned and looked at Fred, raising his eyebrow.

"You heard me," was all she said, fire shooting out of her eyes and a pissed off mother's look on her face.

Spike turned and walked back over to the couch, sitting back next to Gunn, with a pout on his face.

"I wasn't really gonna do it," he muttered darkly, " I was only teasing him."

Gunn patted his arm sympathetically.

"Now someone has to take charge of this…. the two strongest warriors we have acting like five year olds…you both ought to be ashamed of yourselves.  Angel…. go to bed.  You've got to be exhausted by now…and it's almost 10'oclock in the morning.  Wesley, please take Spike somewhere, away from Angel, and train him, quiz him, something…anything.  Gunn, I don't care what you do…you can go with them for all I care…but please stop inciting him to bug Angel…we've got to work together…they need to get along at least a little bit.  And don't you all think I'm gonna go through this every time.  I'm not any of your mothers, but someone has to be the grownup.  Today, it's me.  Well…what are you looking at? Go!"

After giving Fred weird looks they all dispersed.

Angel, down to his room, and Wesley, Gunn, & Spike to a specially designed room at the back of the hotel, used for training.

After they had left the room, Lorne looked at Fred and said,

"Girl you pack some serious power when get riled, remind me to stay on your good side."

"That wasn't too much, was it? I would have been nicer, and I'll be later, but I had to do something to stop them…they were just gonna fight all day.  And Charles and Lilah wasn't helping…just watching and waiting for more."

'They weren't the only ones."  
"Lorne!"

"It was a wonderful fight…it was like watching a dance."

"It was…wasn't it?"

Lorne just laughed and they walked upstairs, chattering happily.

---

Gunn, Wesley, and Spike reached the training room without saying a word.

Once there, Spike looked at Gunn and said,

"Fred often like that?"  
"Nope."

"She's not gonna put a cramp in my style is she?"  
"What style?"

"Driving Angel mad."

"I hope not," Gunn said laughing.

"Well…as interesting as it was…Fred was right about something…. it's time to start training Spike."

Spike groaned.

"Don't wanna, do you?" Gunn said.

"Nope."

"Wanna ditch?"

"God yes!"

"I can hear you two, you know!"

Spike leaned closer to Gunn, lowering his voice even further,

"You pull it off and I'll owe you big."

"How big?"

"I don't know…I'll figure out something."

Gunn laughed.

"Okay Spike…we're gonna check your punches and kicks. I want you to come over here and show me some of your best moves."

Spike groaned and walked towards the punching bag.  He smiled as he remembered the last punching bag he'd practiced on.

He walked over to the desk at the side, picked up a piece of paper and a pen, scribbling something down on the paper.  He looked around, when he was finished, and found what he was looking for.  

He walked back over to the punching bag, attaching the piece of paper to the bag with the tape he had found.

He stepped back and nodded over his work.

He then started stretching, warming up his limbs to prepare for his workout.

Gunn stepped forward to look at whatever Spike had tacked up to the punching bag and promptly burst out laughing.

Wesley came to look as well, and coughed to hide his bark of laughter.

Spike had drawn another picture of a Poofy-haired Angel with fangs and had placed it on the punching bag, just as he had done after he had seen Angel kissing his Buffy before she had fully killed that warped preacher pet of the first evil, Caleb.

After Spike had finished stretching, he started punching and kicking the bag, while Gunn sat down and gave pointers and Wesley jotted down notes.

"Whenever you and Angel can get along, I'd love to see you two spar."

"Those two get along…what are you blind Wes?"

"I didn't say it was gonna be soon…but…if you're here to help, Spike."

"I know, I know…I'll have to get along."

"Nice of you to at least know your duty."

Spike smiled and looked over at Gunn.

"Wanna spar…show me if you got any moves?"

"Sure…why not?  Just none of those fancy moves of yours.  Some of us are just ordinary humans in good shape with handsome faces."

Spike laughed and they began to fight.

After about an hour, both stopped for a break and later on, they all went out, after grabbing Fred, to see a movie and get food.

***

Days came and went, and the crew wondered everyday what Spike was going to do next.  The boy was full of different ways to torture Angel, and every day was a new adventure for him.  

One day they had all gone over to Spike's new place, to admire it…and got a giant laugh when Spike left Angel outside for a good thirty minutes, while he tried to decide whether to let the vampire in or not.  

Another day Spike hid Angel's hair gel and ended up running through the hotel with Angel chasing him and when Angel had caught him, he had been dangled over the railing with a serous threat to be dropped if he didn't tell Angel where he had hid it.  

Another day, Spike had removed the curtains that protected the main room from the sunlight, and because Spike had been the only one there that day, he had taunted Angel, who had to stay on the other side of the room so as not to burn to death, for hours before taking Angel's car out for a spin and leaving it with a homeless person, blocks away.  Angel tried to kill him that day, but Spike had taken it in good part, for his fun had been had for the day.  He had even gotten the homeless person a real apartment and a job, using Angel's contacts and firm, of course, and had gotten Angel's precious car back, after having it detailed for the picky vampire.

The days went on and on.  Most days had at least one of Spike's pranks on Angel.

About two weeks later, one night when they were all there, researching for some case, Angel came roaring into the lobby where Spike was talking to Fred and Gunn.

Fred and Gunn gave Angel a confused look, trying to figure out what was wrong with him.

Spike however, just gave Angel his traditional smirk which only made Angel want to kill him, or toss him around repeatedly.

"What's wrong Gramps…not enough fiber in your blood?"

"Stop calling me that…and I'm not even going to waste my time answering the second part."

  
Spike turned to look at his silently laughing co-workers.

"Sometimes Grandpa Peach here has trouble…shall we say…digesting things.  Poor old man.  When you pass a bicentennial, they really should put you out to the pasture or something."

Fred burst out laughing. Gunn was trying to hold his, but it was an obviously losing battle by the expression he wore.

Angel ignored both of them and put the piece of paper he was holding under Spike's face.

"What the hell is this?"  
"Looks like paper to me.  You remember paper, right…comes from trees?  Don't stress if you don't get it right away, the memory will come back eventually…we hope."  
  


Angel growled.

"What. Is. This?"

Spike laughed…and picked up the piece of paper.

After glancing over the paper he fell out laughing.

Angel wanted to shake him until something popped off.

Gunn came closer to see what it was.

"It's a bill," he told Fred.

"What's so funny about a bill?"  
  


Spike couldn't speak, he was still laughing when Wesley walked into the room. 

He took in the scene and turned to Fred.

"What did Spike do now?"  
  


Gunn laughed at Wesley's assumption that Spike had done something.

"We don't know," Fred told him.

Wesley took the piece of paper and looked it over.

He then looked up at Angel and down at Spike who was squeezing his ribs.

He then chuckled.

"What is so funny about a bill?" Fred asked again.

Spike still couldn't talk, he was having enough trouble catching his breath and laughing at the same time.

Wesley, once he could talk again, explained,

"It's a bill from a demon Spike knows…he called him family.  His name is Slythin…and Spike asked him to do something for him.  I didn't hear the whole thing, so I can't give you a verbatim account.  But I do remember Spike telling something to the tone of …'Bill Angelus then.' And it looks like that's just what he did.  It's a bill for Slythin's services…for a total of $900.00.  And if that wasn't funny enough…there's a note at the bottom saying that when the service has been completed…there will be a $300 dollar charge because of the **nature** of the charge."

"$1200 dollars.  Jeez, what service did you ask him for man?"  
"Missing persons.  But if he thinks he's getting one red cent for me, he's got another thing coming.  Oh…and Pops…you might want to keep your money out of a bank.  Slythin has a way of collecting his money."

Angel just shrugged before saying,

"I'll just kill him."

"Are we feeling a little soulless Peaches?  Okay…say it with me.  Killing is wrong."

Angel just growled before disappearing.

Gunn and Wesley laughed.

Fred looked at him.

"You did it again Spike."

"What?  
"You made him do that thing where he's gone."  
  


Spike shook his head again.

"What now?"  
"You even sound like Red sometimes."

Fred smiled.

"Miss them, don't you?"  
"More than you can imagine."

"What, we not good enough for you?"

"Yes Gunn, you're important to me," Spike muttered glancing at the ceiling.

Gunn laughed and punched him.

"I know."

Spike laughed and they went back to researching some demon for Wesley.

"I'm telling you Watcher…the demon we're looking for isn't in your limited collection."

"Well how do you expect us to kill it then?"  
  


Spike walked over to the weapons closet.

He looked, smiled, and pulled out a giant ax.

"This'll do," he said, striding towards the door.

"And where are you going?"

"I'm going out to kill…tell Pops I'll be in as soon as I'm done…can't give him a time…cause I'm not sure when I'll find it. Wanna come brother Gunn?"  
  


"Well now," Gunn said, striding over to the closet and pulling out a sharp sword for himself, " I reckon I will."

Both boys laughed as they headed out to the night.

Fred and Wesley looked at each other and smiled, then went on to research information for another client.

Hours later, Gunn and Spike returned, covered in something rank smelling.

"EWW…what are you covered in?"  
"Whatever was in the soddin' demon's guts," Spike replied, striding over to his bag full of clean clothes that he had brought over from his place.

"Please tell me it's dead."

"Oh it's dead…we killed the hell out of it…and it's five buddies, right Spike?"  
  


Spike looked back at them and smirked.

"Yeah…we kicked a lot of demon ass…. now if you don't mind.  I really need a shower," he said, jogging upstairs to get cleaned off.

Gunn glanced down at himself and shivered.

"Me too," he said, running towards the room he used when he was there.

Half an hour later, both of them came back down the stairs, having waited for one another.

"I'm telling you…I'm coming over tonight just to school you."  
"Please…I've got you whipped on that game.  You couldn't best me if you tried.  In fact, you have tried…what is it now? Two weeks…and still you suck."

"Its just cause you've got all those super powers."

"Super powers be damned. Face it Gunn…you don't got game."

Gunn pushed him.

Spike laughed.

"If you two are finished… "

"We know, we know Angelus…" Spike walked to the front of the group to stand where Angel was, looking at the rest of the group.  Mocking his stance, looked at them all in his best broody expression, after first pushing his hair up to stand as Angel's did, before saying solemnly, "There has been a rise in demonic activity in the west section of town.  We must mobilize immediately if we're gonna have a chance of keeping LA from becoming overrun with demons."

Gunn, Fred, and Lorne burst out laughing.

"I should just kill you and be done with it," Angel muttered.

"Now, now Angelus," Spike said, laughing.  "That's not nice.  I'm here to help."

"Help?"

"You know that thing…where you kill demons and I help you and the crew kill demons…slayer duty and all."

"Not to mention you help by tormenting me daily."

"I do not."

At Angel's look he said,

"I don't do it every day.  Matter of fact…I haven't bothered you all day 'til just now."

"Thank you so much," Angel said sarcastically.

"Welcome," Spike said cheerfully, bouncing on his heels.

Angel sighed and walked off to get himself his blood.

Spike grinned and then turned back to the others.

"Now…what were we talking about?"

"Holding that all day, weren't you?"  
"Sure was, I tell you…its hard being good.  I was once a bad, rude man, you know…for over a hundred and twenty years."

The rest of the crew laughed.

"Spike, Angel…it's just about time for you two to spar."

Twin groans were heard from both corners of the room.

"Why must we go through this all the time?  It's a perfect opportunity for both of you to hone your skills.  As long as you, Angel, don't bite him and you Spike, don't stake him, everything else is fair game."

Both of them rolled their eyes.

"Hold up…if they're gonna spar, I'm gonna go get some popcorn.  Last time I didn't want to get up and miss anything, but I was starving."

Angel and Spike looked at each other and then away.

"Well…what are you two waiting for…go get changed."

Angel turned and left the area, silently cursing Wesley and the whole watcher/slayer training program he had instituted.  Spike turned and headed to his designated room when he had to stay at the hotel, and verbally complained about the same thing.

Wesley ignored Spike; he had heard it all before, every time they had trained, for the last two weeks.

Both came back into the room minutes later with workout clothes on and both began stretching.

Fred admired both.

Gunn caught the look and whispered,

"You ought to be ashamed of yourself."

"You look nice in your workout outfit too.  When you're sparring with Spike, I watch you too"

He laughed.

"Sure…buttering me up will work."

Fred merely laughed; she could tell by Gunn's smile that she had gotten away with her appraisal.

Wesley was about to start telling them what he wanted to see, while they were warming up, when both Angel and Spike's heads came up.

They rose to their heights slowly, sensing something the others couldn't.

Angel and Spike looked around, looked at each other, and then looked to their right…nothing.  

They looked to their left and were startled when a young man stepped through thin air next to them.

  
The young man held a phone out to Spike.

"Phone call for you, Mr. Spike…it's a Mr. Slythin."

TBC…


	4. Fourth Chapter: Staking, bearing of a so...

From the end to a new beginning – Fourth Chapter

Spike thanked the young man and picked up the phone.

"Spike here…talk to me."

Spike listened to whatever Slythin had to say, his expression getting happier and happier, if his growing grin had anything to do with what was being said.

Finally he said,

"Good…glad to hear it.  Now… get someone… I don't' care who or what, but make sure they're expendable and have them deliver a message to one of the following I'm gonna describe to you: a tallish older male with glasses, a red-haired chit…careful, she's a powerful witch, a tall male with an eye patch, a teenaged girl with long brown hair and blue eyes, a youngish woman…her hair changes, otherwise I'd give you more to go by…she's got brown eyes and a forthright manner, believe me, you'll know who she is when you meet her and finally a golden haired woman with hazel eyes.  Warn them to be extra careful with that last one, she doesn't look like she's capable of hurting a fly, but she's the main slayer.  There are a few others, and many to come besides that you could approach as well…but these are the one's I trust the most.  So make sure your lackey approaches one of these, all right?  I want the message to say:

            **Come to LA, you're needed here...there's something you've got to see.**

"Got that?"  
"Good.  Oh…and make it seem like it came from Angel, all right?  No I will not tell you why you poncy bastard."

Spike listened some more and burst out laughing.

"Oh yeah…he got your bill… and you should have seen the look on his face… I thought his head was gonna spin around…."

Angel narrowed his eyes and took the phone out of Spike's hand, ignoring Spike's shout of protest.

"Slythin…. don't 'Hi Angelus' me…what the hell is with this bill?"

Spike and Gunn started laughing.

Fred shook her head, but she was laughing as well, remembering the outrageous bill.

"I'm not paying you anything you twisted little demon," Angel roared into the phone.

He listened to whatever was said.

"Go ahead, attack her.  From what I hear, there are plenty of slayers with them now.  You'll all be dead before you…"

Spike grabbed the phone.

"**SLYTHIN**…. we talked about that…now do I have to jack Angelus's Angelmobile and come down there and beat some sense into you?  You're sure, right? Better be… I don't take kindly to jokes about killing my slayer…"

He listened to again and a wide smile graced his lips.

"Bye Slythin…oh…hold up.  Tell your spies, or you can do it yourself, whichever, call me when they head for LA.  Got it?"

Spike hung up the phone laughing.

"What's so funny Spike?"

When Spike had a breath, he said, 

"Slythin said that because you were so discourteous and rude to him, the price will have to be adjusted now.  He's rescinding his previous discount…yeah…it was a discount, a family discount.  He said he's canceling that out and you'll get the new bill in about two weeks."

Angel closed his eyes and counted to 10 slowly before sighing deeply and then reopened his eyes.

"So I take it he found them?"

"He said they were spotted in town.  Just arrived the day before…and are setting up shop somewhere near the Cleveland Hellmouth."

"What kind of shop?"

"Well…I'm figuring slayer shop; since all slayers are active now and will either be collected or start flocking on their own to them.  Besides…what good is a slayer without some kind of training?"

"Which is exactly why I feel its necessary for you to…."

"I wasn't talking about me you poncy git."

"Spike… as your current watcher, or at least as your current acting-watcher, I feel you should at least try to show me a bit of respect."

"Do I have to?"  
"Spike!!"

"Hey, hey… no need to get all Ripper-like…I'll be good."

Spike looked towards Fred & Gunn & mouthed, 

'At least for now.'

They both laughed…they were getting used to Spike-phrasing…and that one meant he was gonna act up soon.

Or so they hoped.

Cause since Spike had been around, they seemed to be never short of laughter and a good deal of fun.

"Okay…well…we might as well put you to work since we have some time before they come."

"What do you mean?"

"We're moving our office…it'll now be at Wolfram & Heart…this hotel will stay in our possession…a place to live and all… but the boxes and things aren't gonna move their selves…so that's where you come in.  Fred will show you what to pack."

"What… I'm just your slave now?"

"Could be worse," Angel said with a smile.

Spike rolled his eyes and headed over to Fred with a devilishly sexy smile on his face.

"Where do you want me luv?"

Fred blushed and turned and fled into the office as Spike worked his charm on her.

He laughed before following after her, sauntering.

Gunn chuckled and fell in step with Spike.

Wesley followed them after cleaning his glasses, in a way much like Giles frequently had done.

Angel started to follow them, when he found himself once again in the marble area with the Oracles,

"Don't you guys ever **ask before you pull a person into your world?"**

**Why would we do that?**

"Never mind.  So…what is it this time?"  
  


**Your calmer now, Champion…so we can give you your instruction.**

'I'm not going to like this much, am I?"

Probably not, but our concern only lies in the fact that you do what you are meant to.

"Gee thanks.  It's so nice to know that my feelings are considered."

The male Oracle merely rolled his eyes and then said, 

It is your duty to instruct and train William. 

"Instruct him on what?"  
  


On being a slayer.

"Maybe you haven't been watching, but Spike knows a lot about Slayers already.  It was his obsession before…and now he loves mine."

She does not belong to anyone other than herself.

Angel sighed.

"Why not let Wesley do that…he's already training him somewhat?"

It is not his responsibility… and Wesley has not fought and killed other slayers, nor has he trained or fought beside the ultimate slayer…you have.

Angel sighed again, it wasn't going to do him any good to argue with them, he knew.  He might as well give in.

"Anything else," was all he said.

That is your duty…that and do not interfere when you are joined.

"When we are joined with what?"

We have told you your instructions… these are all you need to know.

And with that they raised their hands and the next thing he knew he was in the lobby, on the way to the office again.

Spike saw him blink in from nowhere and gave him a look before saying, 

"Oracles?"

"Yeah…"

"Damn poofters," was all he said before walking back into the office; he was still kinda ticked off at them for taking his prized duster.

"Got that right," Angel said, walking behind him.

***

After a few hours, Spike couldn't believe there was more to pack.

"Oh you've got to be kidding me.  How can there be more?"

"I'm with you…and why we doing this anyway, Angel?" Gunn asked.

"What do you mean?"  
"Don't we now have a giant team of lawyers and footmen to do this kind of stuff for us?  What's the point of having lackeys if we're not gonna use them?"  
"These are our most important items Gunn…I only want those I trust packing them."

Gunn and Spike shared a 'yeah right' look and went back to boxing more books and papers.

After an hour more, both Spike and Gunn were getting restless.

"Hey…shouldn't I patrol. Slayer's duty and all… right Wes?"  
"Yeah…me too…what's a slayer with out a member of the Scoobies… besides…I could do with a spot of violence."

Spike smiled at Gunn.

"You should pay me royalties…stealing my line and all."

"It was your line? Your name was written on it.  Didn't see it…must have been done with that invisible pen of yours.  You know…the same one you use when you swear you're the greatest at every game we play."

Spike pushed him and Gunn replied in kind.

Both were grinning widely.

Wesley sighed, but he knew that if he didn't let them go out and release some of that energy, it would be bad for all of them.

They were like caged animals if they didn't get a chance to release some of their aggression.

"Fine…go…patrol…both of you.  Just make sure you both come back once your finished.  We still have a lot to do."

"Yeah sure,"

"We'll do that," they both yelled back as they ran for the door, quick to escape before Wesley could change his mind and call them back.

Angel watched them run out with something akin to longing.  He so wanted to follow them.  But no…

"You want to go too, don't you?" Fred asked him, interrupting his thoughts.

"You can tell?"  
"It was easy…you had that wistful look on your face."

"Sorry," he muttered leaning over another stack.

Fred stilled his hands, and when he looked at her she winked at him.

"Go…patrol…have fun."

"What about…"

"I'll deal with Wesley," she whispered to him. "Just go before he gets a chance to trap you."

Angel flashed her a grateful look, and a second later they heard the door close behind him as he escaped.

Wesley looked up.

"Where's Angel?"  
"He joined the boys…patrolling."

Wesley gave her a look and she winked at him.  He blinked and then shrugged before going back to packing.

Hours later, after cleaning up, Spike, Gunn, & Angel rejoined them and packed for a few more hours before going home.

***

Eventually, Angel had to use the crews from Wolfram & Heart to come and do the packing anyway…but at least everything that he considered 'confidential' had already been packed away and was stored at Spike's place for safekeeping.

The rest of them had guilt-ed him into doing it, telling him that they weren't pack mules & it was way too much stuff for them to have to do alone.

Angel had given in but let it be said that, it was probably more out of the fact that he was tired of boxing and moving himself, than because of all their complaints.

When they weren't packing or doing work or Angel wasn't visiting Cordelia in the private wing in the Wolfram & Heart lab/hospital, then Spike & Angel were sparring & Angel attempted to instruct Spike as he had been told to do.

Spike usually did what he said, although giving him those looks that showed him just how thrilled he was with the situation.  Not to mention that occasionally, Spike still pulled pranks on him.  

Some days were more Angel friendly than the others.

***

About a little over a week had passed when the same young man, who had appeared before Spike before, appeared out of nowhere, interrupting one of their training sessions.  He handed the phone out to Spike, who didn't even blink this time, although the rest of them, minus Angel, were startled.  Spike nodded at him as he took the phone.

He answered, 

"What took so bloody long…you said they were spotted in town last week?"

He listened to the response and then laughed. 

"I told you to make sure they were expendable."

He listened for a few seconds more before saying,

"Oh dear Lord…great…now you've got me talkin' like the Watcher.  Look Sly…"

Whatever Slythin said next cracked Spike up.

"Yeah…that's my girl…and my gang," was all he said when he could talk again.

After listening a little more Spike nodded at the phone and said, 

"Alright…thanks for the update…. I'll expect them then."

Spike paused as Slythin said something and then said, 

"Yeah…wouldn't know it would you?  But that's only to the…"

He was obviously interrupted as he stopped and listened once again before laughing hard and closing out the conversation with a "BYE Slythin."

He hung up the phone & gave it back to the young man who bowed & disappeared.

Spike stood back in ready stance, facing Angel, waiting for Angel to pick up the lesson again and give him another instruction.

Angel & the others stared at him, waiting for an explanation, but Spike didn't say anything.

"Well?" Angel practically exploded.

"Well what?" Spike asked with a smirk on his face.

Angel gave him a look.

Spike gave him an innocent one back, which was belied by the wicked glint in his eyes.

"They're headed this way, right?"  
"Yep…they'll be here in about a week or two."

"Why so long?"

"Oh…they're stopping to pick up some newly activated Slayers on the way."

Wesley nodded.

"What was so funny?"

"Too many funny incidents to go into detail…I'll tell you them later…but the best one…I have to tell," Spike said with a snigger.

"Okay…Slythin said that he's gonna have to add to your tab now, because the Slayers killed three crews of ten of his best demons before they had the chance to pass on the letter."

Gunn & Fred laughed.

"How much is he gonna charge?"

"He didn't say…but he was going on about how some of his very best demons had perished & the compensation was going to have to be great because he was now suffering so."

Angel vamped out when the rage hit him, yellow eyes glistening in the darkness of the training room.  It took a few minutes, but he was able to put a clamp on his rage and his face melted back into it's handsome human one.

He was gonna have to kill Slythin…there was going to be no other way for him to maintain his sanity.  He was sure of it.  Couldn't kill Spike…they'd just bring him back one way or another…besides…he wasn't sure if Buffy would thank him for doing that favor and keeping on her good side was usually a priority…. so…he'd have to kill Slythin instead…damn demented demon.  You could really tell that he was Spike's protégée…same twisted mind.

Spike…who had a pretty good idea of what Angel was thinking, laughed before shouting,

"Hey Pops…I thought we were sparring…you gonna stand like that all day?"  
  


Angel ignored his taunt & asked a question of his own, instead.

"Did he say who was coming?"  
"Naw…he only said that a group of them had started heading this direction."

"Fine, now," Angel said, returning to his teaching stance, "show me a double roundhouse, three punch combo, followed by a step back 360˚ sweeping kick & then stake technique."

Spike gave him a wide grin, before executing the move faultlessly.  At the very end, Angel grabbed the stake with both hands, stopping its pretended downward descent to his heart and said, 

"Good job, nicely done.  But what do you do when a vamp blocks your stake like I'm doing now."

If anything, Spike's smile got wider and more wicked & he pulled Angel upwards, twisting them both up into standing crouching positions & then by moving extremely fast, laid into Angel with all kinds of punches and kicks.

Angel was barely conscious & leaning against the wall to remain standing when Spike had finally stopped his assault.

Spike then calmly picked up the stake, flipped it in the air, and then tossed it directly at Angel.

Angel was way to weak to stop it or step out of its path.  He could do nothing, but watch the stake as it seemed to twirl in slow motion before it struck him and imbedded itself deep in his unbeating heart.

Angel gasped…and waited…sure he was nothing but a pile of dust now.

But nothing happened.

Angel looked down, and yes…Spike had not missed.

The wood was in his heart.

But he wasn't dusted.

_'What the hell?' Angel thought._

Spike sauntered over to him with a giant grin on his face before explaining, 

"Plastic wood grain…looks real, doesn't it?  Hurts like a bitch too, I remember, but…better to stake you with and not dust you, don't ya think?"

With that he yanked the wood grain out and watched as Angel slumped to the floor, as relief flooded through him, he wasn't gonna die, and then he slipped into unconsciousness due to the pain.

Spike then leaned over and picked up his ex-grand sire easily and hoisted him over his shoulder, turning back to tell the rest, 

"For tonight…here endeth the lesson. Please join us at our regularly scheduled time… I'm sure when Angelus here heals…he's gonna attempt to kill me good and proper-like."

The rest of the crew laughed…although Fred and Wesley looked a little worried about Angel.

Spike assured them he was fine and took him down to his bedroom where he fed him some blood and then put him in his bed, before leaving to go back to his place.

Gunn joining him said, 

"That was so cool…"

"Not worried about Angelus, huh…were you?"

"Nope."  
"Why not?"  
"You wouldn't dust him…it would end your fun."

Spike laughed.

"True," was all he said as they walked off into the night before getting into their cars a few blocks away.

***

A couple of days later, Spike was cleaning out yet another room Angel had said was essential, when that vampire came into the room behind him and locked the door.

Spike rose slowly and gave him a questioning look, but didn't say anything.

"I think you and I should have a talk William."

Spike blinked and then glared at the name, but sat down on the chair Angel had waved him to.

"So, what's all this all about then?"

"Before Buffy & the Scoobies get here…I think you and I should have a man-to-man talk."

"Don't you mean a man-to-vamp, Peaches?"  
  


Angel growled.

"Damn it Spike, I'm trying to have a real conversation with you."

"You want a real conversation, Angelus, than how about you **not** start off by calling me William."

"It's your name!"

"Yeah…and just how often do you go by the name Liam lately, hmm?"

Angel sighed, knowing Spike had a point.

"Can we just ignore it then?  I wanted to talk to you."

"About Buffy?"  
"About **you** and Buffy."

Spike sighed deeply.

He really didn't want to talk about this with Angel.

"I don't want to talk about this with you either Spike," Angel said as if Spike had said spoken the words out loud.

"Personally," he went on to say, "I don't want you anywhere near her.  I tend to think evil gravitates towards you and you always end up in horrendous situations.  But…as much as I dislike the idea of you two together…or even becoming closer friends…she told me that you were in her heart."

Spike looked up at him in wonder.

"Yeah, she did," Angel, told him, answering his unspoken question.

"When?"  
"Right before I gave her the amulet."

Spike's eyes glazed & then he refocused & looked at Angel.

"So…if Buffy said that…what are you…"

"I just wanted to know what you intend to do when she gets here Spike?"  
"Holding and hugging her springs to the forefront of my mind," Spike said sarcastically with a lift of his eyebrow.

"Seriously, Spike…she deserves a normal life.  Why do you think I left in the first place?"

"Cause you're a 'Giant Poufter'," Spike shrugged.

"Spike," Angel leapt up and was inches away from Spike before he stopped himself, seconds before grabbing Spike & shaking some sense into him.

Spike pushed him backwards with one hand, knocking him back into his seat.

"First of all Angelus…"

"Look…I…"

"Stop interrupting!  You've had your say…you wanna talk some more, you wait until I'm finished having mine.  Understand?"

Angel sighed, but nodded.

Spike continued,

"Now…as I was saying, first of all Angelus…Buffy isn't a NORMAL girl.  She's never going to be a NORMAL girl.  No matter how many others have been activated.  It's not only what she does…it's who she is.  She's the slayer and always will be…until she dies…again…for good.  Understand?  

"Normal isn't enough for her.  She tried it with Captain Cardboard and it went horribly wrong.  He couldn't take not being the strong one in the relationship.  He couldn't deal with her on the emotional level either.  That's why they couldn't make it work."

"And you think you'll fair better than me?"

Spike laughed bitterly.

"She'll always love you, mate.  Just like I'll always love Druscilla.  But you're holding onto the past if you think she's still the same wide-eyed girl you tried to mold into your perfect little woman.  One you could put on the shelf until you were ready to play with her," Spike held up a hand, as Angel was about to protest, silencing him before continuing with his point, 

"She's lived through way to much to go back to those days.  She's known so many losses and she's died herself…again.

"She lost heaven and bounced back.  I'll tell you what I told her once during our final days, before we beat back the First Evil's hordes…and then maybe you'll stop asking me how I feel about her and what my intentions are and what she means to me."

Spike paused…gathering his thoughts together…remembering… before saying,

"I told her that I wasn't asking her for anything.  When I say I love her, it's not because I want her…it's not because I can't have her.  It has nothing to do with me.  I love what she is, what she does, how she tries.  I've seen the best and the worst of her…and I told her that I understand with perfect clarity exactly what she was…is…will always be.  She's a hell of a woman…and for me…she's **the one**."

Angel looked as if he had been bowled over.

He didn't know what to say.

Spike had just…bared his soul, for lack of other words, and to him.

He didn't know what else to do or to say.

It was all to obvious that Spike truly loved Buffy…and Angel knew that no matter how he felt about her, he wouldn't stand in Spike's way.

He stood up and put a hand to Spike's shoulder, squeezing briefly, before nodding at him and walking out of the room, leaving Spike to carry on with the packing.

***

Later that evening, as Spike prepared to go to his car, he found another envelope like he had found in his apartment weeks ago, after the group had came by for the first time and he had taunted Angel horribly, in his borrowed leather jacket. 

He put it back in his pocket and said his goodbyes to all and headed home.

As badly as he wanted to open it then, he knew that he probably wouldn't be able to drive after seeing it.

He walked into the house and got himself something to eat and then walked into his bedroom, turned on the light, lay down on the bed and then opened up the envelope.

As he looked inside…tears cascaded from his blue irises.  

For long minutes, he couldn't take his eyes off the beautiful portrait within.

He put it against his chest lightly, so as not to crumple it, and glanced up at the ceiling…thinking of nothing but the portrait.

He finally pulled it up to look at it again…and traced his fingers over every inch of it.

As the long day & sleep began to sing its claim to him, he kissed one side of the portrait and put it back against his chest, before finally succumbing his tired body and mind to sleep.

Hours later, once in a deep sleep, he released the portrait, and it floated right side up onto the pillow next to him.

It was a beautifully done sketch picture of him and Buffy holding one another close, smiling at their onlooker, and you could tell that, even though they weren't looking at one another, they were together, happy, and deeply in love with one another.

***

The next day, after glancing once again at his sketched portrait with Buffy, he put it with his other one and after sunset he pulled up at the Hyperion.  

The first person he saw, upon entering the building was Angel.

Angel had just strolled out of one of the back offices.

Spike stood staring at Angel & Angel, in his part, stared back at Spike.

Spike then walked over towards him & stood right in front of Angel.  His face was unreadable, so Angel had no idea what Spike was thinking.  Before Angel could ask him what was going on, he found himself in a tight bear hug.

Spike soon let him go, but Angel understood what the gesture was for and was touched.

He gave Spike a rare smile.

"So…I guess I'm on your good side now?" he asked with a smile.

"For a while," Spike said laughingly.

"How long is a while in your book Spike?  I've noticed that time moves differently in your warped mine."  
"Well…yeah.  I'd say you'd have at least a day, maybe two, free of pranks.  That is unless we hit a time warp…cause that'll throw you into the hour long zone and then it's pranks, pranks, all the time again."

Spike gave him a large & cheesy smile.

Angel laughed & wandered back into an office area full of boxes.

He was double checking things and making sure they were packed tightly.

Spike skipped to help & then willingly moved boxes & packed until it was time to patrol.

Gunn asked him several times, during the night, if he was alright, but Spike just gave him the same wide grin.

"Okay…he's starting to freak me out," he told Angel…after they had gotten back to the hotel.

"Don't worry…he'll be back to his annoying & bouncy self in a few days time."

"You sure?"  
"Yes Gunn…your partner in crime will soon again be up to his usual pranks & tricks.  I'm on his good side now…but his behavior is wigging me out as well…so…what?"

He asked a now laughing Gunn.

"You said wigging…"

"Oh for the love of…" the master vampire stalked off muttering about how if it wasn't one or the other of them, it was both of them.

When Angel had left the room, Spike came over and congratulated Gunn.

"That was perfect."

"I said it right?"  
"Sure did."

"Good."

They shared a grin.

"Okay…next time, bring up the…"

"Hold on, " Fred interrupted them, "I thought you were being good to Angel, Spike."

"I am."  
"But…"

"Just because I have to be good for a day or so, doesn't stop me from getting my rocks off another way.  And lucky for me, Gunn volunteered."

Fred shook her head and walked off, towards another office she had halfway packed up.

"Crazy, they're both crazy," she muttered.

The boys smiled at each other and went back to making their plans…just small things that would last them both until Spike could take over once again.

When they were done scheming, they went their different ways for the night.

***

Roughly a week later… Angel had them finding, categorizing, boxing up weapons & then settling boxes aside and moving them out to the waiting u-haul truck at the loading dock.

Angel had made Spike do most of the moving, with himself and Gunn, telling him that it was because he was the Slayer.

"So you would have packed Buffy and Faith up like this if they were here?" Spike asked him sarcastically.

"Well… no… it's only your privilege…cause you're the first male slayer."

"He's so full of it…" Spike started…only to be cut off by Gunn's laughter.

They went back to working, at Angel's look and then went downstairs to the lobby with their last haul before going to get more items from a back room for Fred.

A few hours later, Angel walked around a corner to see Spike standing in one place.

"I thought you were getting the swords…or helping Fred to move boxes. What are you doing standing there?"

Spike didn't move, nor did he say anything…he just went on staring.

Angel peered around him and stood just as still as Spike.

There, in the lobby of the hotel was a group of girls.

Slayers.

Angel could tell from the way his vampire senses were going haywire.  

He was shocked he hadn't bolted by now.

But even though he was sure they knew he was there, they hadn't attacked him.

Made him a bit more comfortable.

He looked to the side, by the counter and saw Xander, Giles, Willow and Dawn talking to Wesley, Gunn and Fred.

He was about to walk forward and greet them when the group of girls moved to the side…  and he know knew what had frozen Spike in place.

Directly across the room, barely standing in the doorway was Buffy.  And she was staring at Spike.

TBC


	5. Fifth Chapter: It's all about them

From the end to a new beginning – Fifth Chapter

"Spike?" Buffy asked, staring straight at him.

Both took steps forward, but stopped right before each other.

Angel said Buffy's name; the rest of the Scoobies said Spike's, but neither of them heard anything else. They were just staring at one another.

Buffy cautiously stepped forward, putting herself in touching distance.

Spike also stepped up, but he didn't touch her. It was up to her to make the first move.

"Spike?" 

He heard tons of questions in her trembling voice.

"I'm here luv," he answered softly.

"How?"

"Sent back by the Oracles."

"The Oreo's?" she said frowning a little.

"Oracles kitten," he smiled…_that was his slayer, he thought before continuing, out loud "they're the higher powers in these parts."_

"Oh…"

Giles, Xander, Willow, & Dawn stepped up next to Buffy.

No one said anything out loud…they were afraid that they were dreaming & that it wasn't real.

_'I wonder if it's really him. If so…I must say, it's all so very…extraordinary.'_

_'Spike's back, how did Spike get back? Hold up…do I want Spike back? I'm not really sure if I'm dreaming…or having a nightmare. Does this mean An's back too?'_

_'Oh my Goddess…oh my Goddess....'_

_'Spike's back...oh God…Spike's back. Can I hug him? Do I want to? Is he real? He better be real… ohh… too many thoughts for my brain.'_

They all waited to see what was gonna happen next.

Neither Spike nor Buffy's gazes wandered.

Buffy took another step towards Spike and reached out as if to touch him to make sure he was real.

Her hand stopped inches from his face. 

Spike saw how it trembled and his heart ached for her. He couldn't just let her go through that, not alone, so he gently grasped her hand with his own.

Buffy gasped at the contact, but she didn't pull away.

Spike put her hand on his cheek and ran his hand lightly down her arm before placing it back along his side.

Buffy blinked and a tear ran down her face as she caressed his cheek, her thumb running lightly over his lips, causing them to tingle briefly.

_'It's the same', she thought. 'Exactly the same. Same smooth skin, same cheekbones, same full lips, and same intense blue eyes staring into mine.' _

"I thought you were dead," she told him.

"I was dead luv," he told her.

"Then how…"

"The Oracles sent me here…told me my task wasn't done yet. Lucky me, huh?"

"Why so lucky?"  
"Cause I get to be where you are," Spike said, showing with his eyes and his words just how much he still loved her.

Buffy gave a sound that was a mixture of a laugh and a cry.

In the space of a second, she flung herself into his arms.

Spike closed his eyes as happiness flooded him.

He had his arms around his love, she was safe and he was back, Spike was ecstatic.

Minutes later, Buffy pulled back and looked at him.

He was almost bowled over a few seconds later as Buffy, once again, and the rest of the Scooby core engulfed him in a giant hug.

Spike couldn't explain how happy he felt.

With such a small gesture, they had shown him that they had finally accepted him in the group…he was a Scooby member now…and they had missed him…. all of them. 

Even Xander.

Who quickly realized what he was doing and to whom and let go and backed away quickly before coming back forward and patting Spike hard on the back, once the others had let go & had moved away.

"Glad your back…even though I don't really like you. Wasn't much fun without you around to pick on."

Spike smiled at him before giving him a wicked smile.

"Like I like you…you're the one who was all talking about going gay after your demon date."

"Hey!"

"And for the record… I pick on you…I just didn't have as much time since I got the soul back to enjoy it as much."

Xander opened his mouth to retort, but was cut off by Giles.

"Boys please…let's not mar this…happy even with your petty bickering."

Spike gave Giles a look.

"Happy I'm back are we?"  
"W…w…well... err…" Giles started, not sure where to go on the whole…we missed Spike thing.

Dawn and Buffy giggled.

And then Dawn said, 

"Giles even said that he was gonna miss the only other British person around…even if it was 'the undead vampire'. And that he wished he had gotten more chances at getting to know the complex individual known as you… and not to mention watch more Manchester United games with you."

Spike's eyes went wide & he gave Dawn a look to see if she was joking or not.

But both Buffy & Dawn nodded at him & he knew it was true.

He then looked at Giles, who had this go-ahead-make-fun-of-me expression on his face & he smiled.

He winked at Giles before saying, 

"I kinda missed you too Rupert."

At Giles's shocked expression, he explained how he felt, 

"I've come to realize that anyone's better than the wanker I've been landed with," he said, pointing back towards Wesley, who was sitting next to Fred, Lorne, & Gunn.

"Hey," Wesley started to protest, but was stifled as Fred clamped a hand over his mouth.

"Think," Fred whispered softly, "Right now, he's pretty much focused on them. If you speak up, he's sure to decide to have some fun with you."

Wesley, knowing the wisdom of Fred's words, nodded & stayed silent.

Gunn snapped his fingers, softly, as if to say 'Damn' and then went back to watching the Sunnydale reunion.

"Spike…now…that's not very nice. Wesley is a …"

"Git."

"Spike…"

"A divvy?"

"Spike!"

"A boffin?"

"William!"

"Fine… Wesley is a fine, upstanding member of society…even if he is too pompous and way too annoying a good deal of the time."

"Well…um…better…that at least has some complements in there," Willow commented.

Spike sighed & rolled his eyes.

Buffy couldn't help herself… she burst out laughing.

Her laughter was music to Spike's ears and he laughed along with her.

And he wasn't the only one pleased to hear the sound.

The Sunnydale gang was thrilled as well… because in the weeks since they had defeated the First… not one of them had heard Buffy's laughter.

She smiled… time to time…but it never seemed to reach her eyes.

Now…it was as if her whole body was glowing.

A word floated through Spike's mind, from deep in his subconscious until he could no longer suppresses it….

_She was…effulgent_.

Spike shuddered at the thought. 

_Please never let her realize that he was such a poof, he practically begged the Powers That Be._

He looked up to see Buffy giving him a look.

"What?"

"What's effulgent mean?"  
"Huh?" Spike's eyes went wide.

"You mumbled… 'Something… effulgent'."

"Oh… it's …um..."

Giles decided to help out the obviously flustered ex-vampire.

"It means gleaming."

"And what the hell does that mean?"  
"It sort of means luminous… uh… beautiful… gorgeous."

Buffy gave the three of them a look before rolling her eyes leaving, the phrase 'why-didn't-you-just-say-that-then' unspoken.

She then tilted her head to the side and looking at Spike said, 

"I've got at least two questions for you Spike."

"Yeah?"

"First… what's divvy mean?"

Spike smiled.

"Clod … pillock…. idiot."

Buffy shook her head, but she was smiling.

"Okay…one other question."

"What?"  
"What's boffin mean?"

Spike smiled largely at that.

He leaned down toward her and said softly in her ears so the others couldn't hear.

Buffy burst out laughing once more.

"Oh come on… don't leave us in suspense… what does it mean?"  
  


Buffy was too busy laughing to answer.

Spike just smiled, staring at Buffy.

Giles was chuckling.

Wesley, however, was trying to appear that he didn't care what Spike had called him, but they could all see that it had irritated him.

"Aww come on… enough with the torture… Buffy, Spike even… what's boffin mean?"  
  


Spike looked toward Xander and said,

"You will never be one."

"Oh goody… clues," Xander said sarcastically.

"I like clues…. It's like… schoolwork," Willow said with wide happy eyes and a geeky smile.

Spike rolled his eyes and told Willow.

"It couldn't be you Red."

"Why not?"

"Cause you're a bird."

"She's a what?"  
"Bird… bint… girl."

"Jeez Spike… being dead didn't improve your need to drive me around the bend…"

Spike grinned at her before turning back to Willow.

"A boffin is only a male."

"Okay… what's it mean anyway?"  
"It kinda means nerd," Giles explained, trying to hold back his chuckles.

"More than that Watcher," Spike said, after looking over his shoulder and winking at Gunn, "it means a nerd… a virgin nerd who has no chances in hell of getting a woman."

Xander and Gunn burst out laughing.

Dawn shook her head laughing softly.

Willow smiled, but caught Wesley's eyes and tried to hide it.

Fred patted Wesley's hand, comfortingly, but had her head turned away, so he wouldn't see her smiles.

"I'm sure you get plenty of girls and aren't a boffin," she whispered softly in his ear.

Wesley gave her a grateful smile, before turning to watch what Spike would say or do next.

"You are incorrigible," Buffy said, shaking her head.

"You know what that means?"

"Shut up," Buffy said, whacking him on the arm, but she was still smiling.

Spike chuckled.

The small groups of slayers were giggling hard; Even Angel was chuckling, which set Xander off.

He narrowed his eyes at Angel and looked at him critically.

Angel caught the look and said,

"Oh not again. I AM NOT EVIL … alright?"  
"I didn't say anything…"

"Yeah… but I could see it coming. And Xander?"

"Hmm?"  
"What's up with the eye patch?"  
"Oh… let's just say… when battling with a scary preacher of the ultimate evil, don't get too close. I found out the hard way that they like to go for the eyes."

Angel nodded.

"Sorry to hear that."

Xander nodded and then waved his hand, 

"Don't work yourself up trying to find the sad, but supportive words. I'm cool. I'm even getting used to it… and… we still have a shopping trip to fix up my clothes to go with my gritty looking eye patch."

"Yeah… just be glad that all your Hawaiian shirts got sucked into hell…. Cause that was a look no one should ever have to be a witness to."

"Shut up Spike."

Spike chuckled, before leading Buffy over to where Gunn was sitting.

"Buffy… this is my new best friend. His name is Charles… but we just call him by his last name… Gunn."

Buffy smiled and waved at him.

Gunn chuckled and said, "Must be confident in your charms Spike-y."

Spike raised his eyebrow at both his mention of his charms and the Harmony like nickname.

"And why's that?"  
"No reason… except you, introducing a stunningly gorgeous girl, to yours truly. Must be sure of your hold on her. You might lose her to my own gorgeous self."

Spike laughed.

"Please. You're no Xander, but your not all that pretty either."

Gunn laughed and Xander issued a, "Hey!" in protest.

Spike winked at Gunn and flashed Xander a wicked grin in response.

Dawn stepped up and punched his arm.

"Hey now, what's that all about?"  
"So you're just gonna ignore me?"  
"Thought you'd rather that I not talk to you."

"Are you joking? You died for me… for us… of course I'm talking to you."

"Knew I was doing the right thing," Spike said as Dawn flung herself into his arms.

He hugged her happily, glad to have her like and love him again.

As she pulled back, she socked him hard in the stomach.

Now, she was strong, but not so strong that it really hurt. Just strong enough to sting a bit, not to mention, she had the surprise factor going.

Spike looked at her wide-eyed.

"That's for dying and leaving us."

Spike's expression softened as Dawn's eyes filled with tears.

"Sorry my not-so-little Bit. But it was the end of the world. I had to do what I had to, to protect you."

Dawn flung herself against his chest again and he hugged her tightly before remembering that while they didn't seemed to shock that he wasn't cool to the touch, it would sink in soon. And Dawn would definitely notice if she heard his heart beat. And he didn't want any of them to know until he got a chance to tell himself.

He pulled back and gave her an all over glance.

"What?"

"Have you grown?"

Dawn laughed.

"Maybe."

"I better not catch any boys around you Niblet. Remember… I'm chip-less now. I can disembowel whomever I want."

"Eww… gross Spike."

"As Red says, a vague disclaimer is no one's friend."

Willow grinned as Spike winked at her.

Spike looked toward the group of slayers and waved at them, the one's he knew, that was, 

"Hey girls."

"Hi Spike," they chorused back.

The group laughed at their enthusiastic response.

Vi, who had decided to come on the trip with them, stepped forward until she was a few feet from Spike.

"Uh Spike?"  
  


Spike turned and looked at her.

He grinned.

"Vi right?"

"Yeah…"

"Glad to see you made it out alive."

"Yeah… I … I just wanted to say that I'm sorry… for doubting you and all. And treating you mean sometimes. And thanks for sacrificing yourself for us. And…I forgive you for twisting my arm during training."

The Scoobie core rolled their eyes and smiled, but Spike merely nodded his head.

"Glad to have your forgiveness," he replied, before scanning the group of slayers.

He then turned to Buffy and the rest of the group.

"You're missing some…and there are a few new ones I see."

"Remember the plan Spike, all Slayers have been activated, so we've gotta pick up some new ones that weren't at the battle. And some of them decided to stay at the Cleveland Hellmouth, get things set up there."

Spike nodded.

He then realized that he should tell them about his new situation before too long.

Before he got a chance, however, most of the slayers had honed in on the fact that Angel was a vampire and they were slowly advancing on him, ignoring Giles, Wesley's, and Xander's shouts that it was okay.

Spike and Buffy looked over at the situation and then looked at each other.

They leaped across the room to land in front of the advancing slayers.

"I'm givin' you gals first warning … as much as I like most of you… and dislike the Poof… most of the time… sometime I like him, but I won't be tell you all this more than once… I'm gonna have to defend him. Step up, prepare to get beat down."

"Wanna dance Spike?" a slayer named Rachel said, stepping up.

Spike recognized her as one of the many that had been at the house in the last days before the battle with the first.

"Not with you sweetheart," he said, delivering a sweeping kick to her legs, sending her crashing to the floor, "you're just a child. Come back when you grow up some."

A few of the unknown slayers stepped up.

"Oooh… look at this… kinship among the slayers. I think it's a step in the right direction, what about you luv?"  
  


Buffy rolled her eyes before saying,

"Alright… I've had enough of this. The next slayer to step up and attempt to show off her moves or tries to stake my ex gets to fight me head on. And I won't be just sparring. I will steadily kick each and every one of your asses. Now… anyone want to test me… see if I'm joking?"

When she didn't get a response, she said, 

"Good, glad to know you all haven't completely lost all your senses. Now… you want to stay inside, get a key from Angel and go pick a room. Otherwise, get out and come back tomorrow."

Most of the slayers walked over to Angel and held out their hands and once Angel had handed them keys from the office, they had trooped upstairs to find their rooms.

A few walked out into the night.

Spike gave her a look once they were gone.

"What's up with the brat pack?"

"Oh… they're the hard headed ones."

"Take after you, do they?"  
"You gonna make me kick your ass, aren't you?"  
  


Spike winked at her and Buffy burst out laughing.

"Glad I still know how to make you smile, luv."

Buffy shook her head ruefully.

"And now that you're in a better mood, I might as well tell you and Giles about my brand new condition."

"What… don't want to share with the rest?"  
"I'll tell the rest of you later… Buffy, Giles, can you please come with me?"

With that, he headed out toward his training room. 

Once they reached it, he turned to face them after looking the room, behind them.

"Spike… what's going on?"  
"Nothing… I just have to tell you about my new… circumstance… and I'd rather not do the with a crowd of bystanders."

Buffy and Giles nodded.

"So… what new condition?"

"First of all… I'm not a vampire anymore."

"You're alive?" Buffy asked, eyes wide.

She stepped closer to him, placing her hand on his chest and another hand at his neck, feeling for a pulse.

And then jumped when she felt one.

"His heart is beating…. Giles… his heart is beating."

Giles removed his glasses for a quick clean, before replacing them and saying, 

"You're alive. Well… that's… remarkable."

Spike nodded.

"It takes a while to get used to… it's been weeks… and I'm still getting used to it."

"No wonder you felt warmer earlier…. I just thought you had just fed or something," Buffy said out loud, softly to herself.

Spike caressed her cheek.

"I have to breathe too… it's kinda a weird sensation, breathing cause you have to… not cause you want to take a drag of a fag, or talk, etc."

"A drag of a what?"  
"Fag… cigarette for you luv."

"I swear… between you and Giles and maybe Wesley… I'm gonna have to get a British – American dictionary."

Spike and Giles laughed.

Spike then continued, 

"Also… I still have this," he said stepping back and pulling out the amulet from under his shirt.

Buffy stepped up and cradled it carefully.

"Why are you still wearing it?"

"Funny thing… I seem to need it."

"What?"

"Yeah… Peaches tried to rip it off soon after I materialized… and it almost killed me."

"Wow."

"Yeah."

"Well… that's definitely different circumstances," Giles muttered.

"Well that's not it…. I'm also special now."

"Really…and just how special are you?"  
"I'm a first really."

"I'm gonna have to beat you to get you to tell me, aren't I?" Buffy said, crossing her arms.

Spike laughed.

He leaned forward and told her, 

"Well I don't mind a little foreplay later Sweetheart, but I thought we were gonna try for the not so rough stuff."

"Spike," Buffy hit at him.

Spike laughed and winked at her.

"You are horrible."

"I do my best."

"I thought you weren't evil anymore."

"No more than most."

Buffy rolled her eyes and Giles sighed.

"So…just what do you mean when you say you're special now, Spike?"

"You might want to sit down for this one, Rupert."

As Giles sat down on the couch to the side of the training room, Spike gestured to Buffy.

"You might want to as well."

"I'm fine…I'll stand."  
"Yeah…well…don't say I didn't try to warn you… all right, here goes. It's been tested out and the powers told both Angelus and me that it was true."

"What's been tested and what are you talking about?"

"My new circumstances..."

"And that is?"

"What I am."

"And what are you Spike… stop stalling." 

"I'm now the first and only Male Slayer ever."

TBC


	6. Six Chapter: Explanations, Sweet moments...

From the End to a New Beginning – Chapter 6________________________

Buffy & Giles wore twin expressions of shock & surprise.

Buffy's jaw slumped down further as she stared at him, speechlessly; eyes wide open in shock.

_If she was a cartoon, Spike thought, her jaw would have hit the floor and he would have to roll it up._

He almost chuckled at the thought.

Giles wasn't fairing much better than Buffy.

He was having a hard time trying to process Spike's words & when he opened his mouth to say something, anything in response… he found that he couldn't.

His jaw was working, but his voice wasn't.

He alternated between standing and sitting on the couch.  Spike figured the count was up to about 25 times in the past few minutes since he had told them, that Giles had stood up and then sat back down.  He had also figured that Giles had cleaned his glasses at least 50 times and had cleared his throat a good 15 times in the last now, three minutes since he had made his announcement.

Spike was sure Buffy was gonna collapse, she was swaying, so he tried to approach her but she put out her hands and he knew she was gonna be fine.

"Well… well this is… a… unanticipated development," Giles finally got his throat to work.  "May I ask, how?"

Spike shrugged and nodded.

"Well…according to Angel's new "team", when you and I clasped hands while my soul, the sunlight & that champion's amulet were doing their job," he nodded towards Buffy," some of your slayer qualities got transferred to me.  The amulet cleaned the demon right out of me, but left me with your strength, healing abilities, senses, & calling."

Buffy stared down at her left hand… and then at his right one… before blinking back her tears and looking up at Spike.

"You're… alive."

Spike gave her a loving smile, before giving her his old smirk and saying,

"Havin' a bit of problem working through that one are ya luv?"

Buffy glared at him through her tears.

Giles smiled to himself.

He knew exactly what Spike was doing.

Pissing Buffy off was the quickest way Spike knew to get her to push past overwhelming emotions.

She stepped up towards Spike, her hands tightened in anger, & he winked at her, defusing her anger.

She shook her head… he always could get to her.

"So… you're like me, now?"  
"Pretty much… I do seem to be all about the slaying of evil demons… oh wait…. I was doing that before," he said with a roll of his eyes and an evil smirk.

"You so want me to hit you, don't you?"  
  


Spike gave her a wide smile & then blew her a kiss.

"What can I say? I missed you luv."

Buffy shook her head and laughed.

Giles smiled…and so did Spike. 

Buffy stepped up to him and placed her hand on his chest.

She felt the fall and rise of his chest as well as the beating of his heart when she pressed in gently.

"I don't think I'm gonna get over this anytime soon."

"You?  After a century plus without, I'm still getting used to it.  It's weird ya know, but strangely… kind of fittin'."

Buffy nodded.

When she was silent, Spike said, 

"Told you I was you in a dead shell."

Buffy raised her eyes to him before quoting,

_"And you wouldn't be able to touch me… because this… with you… is wrong… I know it.  I'm not a complete idiot.  You think I like having you in here?  Destroying everything that was me, until all that's left is you in a dead shell.  You say you hate it, but you won't leave…"_

Spike gave her an awed stare.

Giles sat and watched them both silently, they had clearly forgotten about him, and he figured that his role had already been played.

He got up silently and went to the door, unlocked it, and closed it quietly behind him before going to tell the rest of the Scooby gang, Spike's news.

Neither Spike nor Buffy saw him leave.

In truth… they had forgotten that he had been there in the first place.

After having Spike stare at her for a few minutes, Buffy gave a confused, 

"What?"  
  


Spike shook his head as if to clear it before replying, 

"I told you that over two years ago… and you remembered it almost word for word."

'What did I leave out?"

Spike stepped up and traced her cheek with his hand.

"I love you…"

Buffy finished his quote,

_"No… look at me.  I-LOVE-YOU! You're all I bloody think about… dream about.  You're in my gut…my throat…I'm drowning in you Summers…I'm drowning in you."_

"Remember my words, huh… I never thought you listened to me."

"I listen,"

"So I see."

Buffy blushed and looked down.

Spike smiled at her and chuckled.

"Blushing slayer… kind of what I like to see."

Buffy turned away from him and walked around him until she was directly behind him.

"Checking me out slayer, you can't have forgotten what I look like already, have you?  It's only been a few months."

Buffy said nothing, but seconds later, Spike was picking himself up off the floor a few feet away as Buffy delivered a twisting kick to the back of his head and sent him sprawling.

As he picked himself up he said, 

"What the bloody hell was that for, luv?" his eyes narrowed, confused at why she was attacking him.

Buffy turned to face him and he saw the tears streaming down her cheeks.

"You told me I didn't love you."

Spike's gaze softened and he ventured closer, no longer pissed off at the attack, realizing the reason for it.

He cupped her cheeks with both hands gently, wiping away her tears with his thumbs, and said, 

"I'm not gonna apologize luv.  I wanted you safe…and you are.  You'd have stayed with me until the end if I hadn't said it.  Wouldn't you?"

She didn't say anything, but he saw the 'yes' in her eyes.

"I know you would have… so I said what I had to…I made a choice."

"It wasn't your choice to make."

"You made it my choice when you gave me the amulet…called me a champion…and when you told me that you loved me."

"Stupid feelings…"

Spike laughed and pulled her into his arms, holding her tight.

Buffy hugged him hard.

"I can't believe your here.  I keep thinking I'm going to wake up and it's going to be another damn dream."

"I'm here…slayer…I'm here."

After a few minutes silence… Buffy chuckled.

"What's so funny?"  
"You're gonna have to come up with a diff. nickname for me now."

"Why?"

"Didn't you just tell us you were a slayer too?"  
"Oh…right…bugger."

Buffy laughed out loud.

"So…if you're a slayer… who's your watcher?"

"At the moment…. Wesley."

Buffy laughed hard with glee.

"It's not funny."

"Oh yes it is… I've done the time… now it's your turn.  Serves you right.  Wesley makes Giles look like Disney World."

They looked at each other.

"You do realize that Giles is gonna give you all sorts of tests, right?"

He nodded.

"I know…he's probably conferring with Wesley right now."

Buffy nodded, giggling at Spike's sudden 'O Dear Lord' expression.

Spike started looking up at the windows and high beams in the training room.

"What are you doing?"  
"Looking for a mode of escape when Watcher and Watcher Jr. come thru that door."

Buffy chuckled and looked around for the first time since they came into the room.

"When did Giles leave?"  
"I don't know."

"I wonder why he left."

Spike winked at her.

"I think we got a little intense for him luv.  Not to mention that we both forgot he was here."

"I didn't forget…"

At Spike's raised eyebrow she rolled her eyes and said, 

"Okay…maybe I did… a little bit... but if he asks I'll deny it."

Spike laughed.

"Don't worry…I'll back you up."

"You always do," she said softly, stepping up towards him again.

Spike had been trying hard not to press her, but couldn't help himself.  He had to know.

"You meant it right?"

Buffy looked at him blankly.

"Down there… you meant it right?"

Buffy's gaze softened and she gave him a slow smile, coming towards him and caressing his cheek like she did after she gave him the amulet months ago.

"Can't you tell already?"

"When it comes to you love… no.  I'm already convinced I'm dreaming this whole bleedin' thing."

"The whole what?"

"Me, dying…me, sent here…. you, here…me, slayer…me stuck with Angel…hold up… wait… no, that parts a bloody nightmare."

"You have been behaving yourself, haven't you?" Buffy said, smiling.

Spike's wicked smile was proof enough to her that he hadn't been.

"What did you do?"

"You'll only get mad…so I think I won't be telling you."

Buffy shook her head.

"Come on Spike…spill."

"It was only a few things… no need to get your knickers in a twist about it.  Besides…he's fine and undead… and all poofy still."

"Stop stalling."

Spike was silent.

"You know…if you don't tell me…I'm just gonna ask Angel…and you know how much he's gonna exaggerate if I give him half the chance."

Spike sighed…defeatedly.

"I didn't harm him…much."

At Buffy's look, he defended himself by saying, 

"I'm a slayer and he's a demon.  As you well now know by now…sometimes I can't help myself."

"I'm not buying all of that William.  You messed with him cause you wanted to."

"True."

"What…did…you…do…Spike?"

"Only the minimal amount of torture…not the poking with painful stuff kind…so you can stop with the I'm –gonna-stake-you look you've got going on.  Not to mention the fact I'm human now…and a slayer…so staking me means you'll be killing an innocent."

"You are anything but innocent Spike…. come on…I want to know details…what have you done to Angel?"

"Mostly pranks…but there was one mea…"

Spike stopped… hopefully she wouldn't ask.  He silently begged and prayed.

Unfortunately for him… it didn't appear that anyone was listening.

"There was one what?"

Spike sighed… she was gonna kill him when he told her.

He braced himself for her anger and decided to stop dithering like a Nancy Boy.

"We were in the middle of training and …"

"Angel's training you too?"

"What, you think you're the only Slayer that gets a vampire champion to help your skills out?"

Buffy held her hands out and gestured for him to continue.

"Okay…as I said, we were in the middle of training and he was bugging me.  So…I picked out a stake I had fashioned…well…I had a demon I know fashion for me…and I executed a move, after he had pinned me, and I tossed a stake at him."

Buffy gave him an odd look.

"Well…since he's walking around out there…I'm guessing you missed. Gotta hone them skills Spikey.  With all those demon years under your belt there's no reason for you to be acting like a rookie."

"I didn't miss, Slayer.  Got him dead in the heart."

"How the…."

"It wasn't real wood luv…it was plastic wood grain.  Looks real…. hurts like hell too, I remember…but it won't dust you."

Buffy was about to open her mouth to shout at him for pulling such a mean prank on Angel but stopped and stared at him instead.

After a few moments of her silent stare, Spike couldn't take it anymore.

"Please just yell at me…when you stare at me like that, I know I'm gonna be sore for a few days to come.  If you yell at me a little…then you'll get some of it out…and I won't be a giant bruise for the next few weeks."

"How would you know how bad it hurts?" Buffy asked him, ignoring what he had just said.

Spike gave her a deer-caught-in-the-headlights look for a second before he was able to control his expression and said, 

"Oh…well…cause he almost passed out after I was doing it and then he did pass out as I was putting him to bed, once he found out I didn't stake him with real wood.  I figured it must hurt really bad to make him pass out like he'd been in a tanker all night."

"No Spike… You just said, '_it hurts like hell too, I remember'_.  Who the hell tossed one at you?"

Spike looked away.

Buffy was on him in seconds, pushing him back against the wall hard.

"Answer me.  Who?"

"Stop threatening me…I'm not telling you."

"Why not?"  
"Cause it's in the past Buffy.  All that matters is now and future."

"Why won't you tell me? "  She asked after a few minutes of staring at him silently.

Spike leaned forward, touching his forehead to hers.

"There's other things I'd rather be doing," he said, looking at her lips.

Buffy leaned up a little and licked her lips which all the sudden felt oh so dry.

Spike caught the gesture and chuckled, leaning in closer.

"Like what?" Buffy said, voice soft and filled with some excitement.

"Like welcoming you back…like this…" Spike said, leaning closer, his lips inches away from hers.

Buffy and Spike were just closing in the ever decreasing gap between them, about to kiss…when the door to the training room came flying open and they both jumped a foot away from each other like naughty children.

Xander came flying into the room, followed by the rest of the Scoobies and the LA gang who didn't want to miss what was gonna happen next.

"You're a what?" Xander shouted, glaring at Spike.

"Aww watcher… you told them already… I wanted to have been there to watch his eyes bug out and see him almost swallow his tongue.  Shame on you to deny me the right."

Buffy inched closer to Spike and said, 

"Are you looking at him… hell you might get your reaction anyway."

Spike smiled wickedly before saying to Xander, 

"I know you're a little slow, Whelp…but I'm gonna say this slowly so even you can get it.  I am now a Slay-er.  You know…one whose solemn duty is to hunt down and rid the world of demons, vampires, and all sorts of nasties.  Just like Buffy… only male."

"But that's not possible…you're an evil soulless demon."

Spike gave him a look.

"I think your having a problems working through things.  Tell you what… I'll help you out.  Now…here's how Spike's story goes:  I was once an evil, soulless demon.  Then I got a chip.  Worked with you lot for many and many of years, although at first…it was a right buggerin' nuisance.  Fell in love with the slayer…and being good…suddenly…wasn't so bloody hard…it was knowing what to do about it that gave me all my troubles…that and keeping it to myself. Got a soul…there for I was just a demon…having worked out the evil bit and the soul taking care of the soulless bit.  Then… I sacrificed myself to save all of your bloody hides…and end up here… demon wiped completely out…and endued with slayer strength and abilities. While here…I train with both Wesley and Angel, and learn all the good slayer ways so I can do my duty."

Buffy laughed, as did Dawn and most of the two crews, at his whole explanation.

Xander rolled his eyes before asking,

"So…you're a slayer now too?"

"Kewpie doll for the one-eyed Monkey."

Buffy reached over and whacked him in the back of the head.

"Be nice."

"Do I have to?"

"Unless you want to get beat down," she replied cheerfully.

Spike shrugged and then leaned closer to her, his voice low and sexy as he told her, 

"I'm ready for a bit of the rough & tumble whenever you like luv… day or night."

His voice made Buffy shiver and she bounced over towards her friends as quickly as she could, without appearing to be trying to escape from Spike's nearness.

Spike laughed.

Buffy threw him a 'Hush-up-they're-gonna-know' glare, but Spike ignored it.

He was sauntering across the room after her, intending on driving her mad until she gave in to him when a load roar seemed to shake the whole building.

Spike froze.

Everyone else looked puzzled and they all filed out into the lobby.

The roar came again, and this time was accompanied by a name, 

"SPIKE!!!!"

All eyes turned to him.

Spike gave a nervous like smile and then walked over to Gunn, who he pulled to the side.

"I think we forgot about something," he told him.

"I'm thinking we did too." Gunn agreed.

"Not again… you two…" Fred started only to stop and shake her head.

"What's going on?" Dawn and Buffy said at the same time.

Fred shook her head and said,

"I would explain…but it's better if you see.  Besides… I wasn't in on this one…so I'm as lost as you are. What did you do this time?" Fred turned to Gunn and Spike to ask them, and just saw them head out the door, running.

Buffy took off after them, as did the others, but at a slower pace.

As they got closer to the source, Buffy could tell that the one yelling was Angel.

_'What on earth did Spike do to him?'_ she wondered.

For a moment, she got lost, but then she heard Angel's loud shout, 

"SPIKE…LET…ME…. OUT!!!"

And knew the way to go.

She burst in the room, almost running full tilt into Spike and Gunn who were standing a few feet inside…eyes glued to the sight before them.

Angel stood inside a dome like contraption, with crosses covering wooden shape so he couldn't touch it to get out.

But the worst part was that Angel was covered with what appeared to be some sticky white substance, probably a floury-based glue, and tons of feathers.

Buffy took one look and covered her mouth and immediately closed her eyes…trying with all her might to block out the sight in front of her.

The rest of the crews had caught up to her a few moments later…but they were nowhere as disciplined as she was trying to be.

Fred and Wesley were the first two upon the scene.

They burst out laughing…and Angel's glares didn't do anything to help them stop.

Gunn and Spike were chuckling hard by now as well.

Dawn and Willow were the next two to enter the scene…they looked and promptly fell to the floor in uncontrollable giggles.

Giles, Lorne, and Xander were the last to enter the room.

Lorne shook his head, although he did chuckle.

"Swe…Spike…you've done it this time.  He's gonna kill you when he gets out of there Honey."

Spike turned and winked at Lorne, before giving Buffy a slight glance before turning back to watch Angel glare at him with murder in his eyes.

Giles was to next to react as Xander looked on in shock.

He clasped his hands over his mouth in an attempt to keep his emotion in check…but it was a dismal failure.  He burst out laughing, tears streaming from his eyes at the sight of the master vampire in a cage, covered in flour and feathers like a boy being hazed into a fraternity.

Xander blinked repeatedly at the sight before his eye…for a moment, he thought he was having a hallucination…but…as he took in the others in the room… he figured what he was seeing was true.

Angel really was in a cage…looking like a big chicken.

Xander started to chuckle…but then he glanced at Angel again and his laughter became louder and he fell to the floor, clutching at Willow and Dawn who were trying to pull themselves back up and failing miserably.

Buffy slowly opened her eyes…hoping against hope that the image was gone.  But to no avail…and as much as she tried… she couldn't hold back her giggles.

She clutched her stomach as she burst out laughing…as hard as the others.

Long minutes passed before she could control herself long enough to look up at Spike, who was smiling as he watched her laugh.

"Is this what you meant by harmless?" she asked, voice still shaking with laughter.

Spike had the decency to look a little sheepish before saying, 

"Well…he's fine…really.  Just a little more…shall we say feathery than usual?

That set the group of them off all over again, while Angel fumed inside his cage.

Long minutes passed again before Fred said, 

"Let him out boys."

"I ain't goin' near that cage… I helped set it up… he's gonna try and kill me," Gunn said, moving as far away from the cage as he could get.

Angel growled at him.

"See."

"It would serve you right," Wesley said haughtily.

"Oh your just still sore cause of what we did to you.  If ya hadn't gotten in the way you'd have come away un-pranked."

Wesley rolled his eyes.

The group chuckled again.

Fred turned to look at Spike.

"Then it's your responsibility.  You did it… you go get him out."

"Well see… I would…but I've got this deep pressing matter at home," Spike said, inching toward the door.

He didn't make it through it though… Buffy grabbed hold of him and pulled him back in the room.

"Aww come on Slayer… it was a good prank."

"When are you gonna grow up?"

"How about when you stop running away from your feelings."

"We're not talking about me now Spike.  Look at what you've done to poor Angel."

Spike looked over at his ex-grandsire and promptly burst out laughing again.

"It isn't funny," Buffy told him.

Spike noticed that she refused to look over at Angel.

He placed his hand on her head and turned it to look towards Angel again.

She promptly started laughing again.

"I rest my case."

Buffy spread out her hands….

"Okay… it is funny.  But you can't leave him like that."

Spike sighed… Buffy was wearing that determined look.  He knew he couldn't resist it.

"Alright… but if he kills me I'm gonna haunt you."

"I'm willing to take that chance."

Spike rolled his eyes and started walking towards the far end of the wall where the rope attached to the cage was waiting for him to pull on so he could free Angel from his cross prison.

"Wait…before you let him out… I gotta go get it.  I'll be right back."

Xander bolted from the room, leaving the rest of them to wonder what the hell was going on.  

But no one wanted to get close to the pissed off vampire, even to help him out… and Spike was in no hurry to let him out…so they didn't move.

A few minutes passed and then Xander came skidding into the room.

He smiled once more at Angel and said, 

"Okay now…. smile," before snapping off a few shots of Angel in his current predicament.

TBC…


	7. Seventh Chapter: Aftermath & A Talk

From the End to a New Beginning                                             Chapter 7

As Xander's camera went off the rest of the group weren't sure just how to react.

One the one hand, Xander had done something incredibly funny; hopping right into the spirit of the prank & actually completing it as Spike and Gunn had originally planned on doing; but on the other hand, Xander had also done something incredibly stupid.

Angel was practically used to the childish pranks dished out by Gunn and Spike; and they knew just what they were setting themselves up for, but Xander had no idea of just how much more pissed off he was making Angel.

Spike knew what he had to do.

He stepped in front of Xander and turned him around pushing him through the door.

As Xander began to protest, he cut him off by saying,

"Listen to me as you've never bothered to listen to me before: Run you silly git.  He's gonna be out for blood in a moment, just as soon as I release him, and 'cause the Slayer's fond of ya, I'd rather yours not be splattered over everything."

With that he shut the door in Xander's face and turned to face the very brassed off master vampire.

As he walked towards the cage with a determined look upon his face he told the rest of them, "If I were you guys, I'd run.  He's not gonna be…shall we say…talk-able for a while…more of the caveman-like mentality…crush, hit, and fight now – that sort of thing…kinda like a Fyral demon."

Most of them took the hint and bolted out of the room without a backward, but Buffy, Gunn, Wesley and Fred stayed.

Spike looked around the room, nodding that the coast was clear, before pulling on the rope, lifting the dome like cage off of Angel.

As soon as the dome lifted enough to let Angel out, they saw the vampire escape and then all they saw was a blur as fury and vamp speed combined to give Angel an extra boost.

Seconds later, Spike was thumped against the wall and a very feathery Angel was holding him up by the throat.

"Give me one good reason while I shouldn't snap your neck like a twig."

"It would mess up my outfit?"

Angel shook him like a rag doll before thumping him hard against the wall once again.

Spike just chuckled.

"Spike… stop teasing him, Angel…let him down please."

Angel acted like he hadn't heard her.

"I said give me one **good** reason," Angel growled.

"Because you love me," Spike said, batting his eyes.

Angel spun and tossed him across the room; a few loose feathers drifted to the floor.

Spike hit the floor and tucked into a roll, which helped him bounce up easily and avoid the punch Angel sent his way.

Spike sent a spinning kick at the back of Angel's head, sending him flying across the room until he hit the pillar, across the room.

"Uh uh uh… that's not fair; there are rules to punch 'n tag ya know."

Angel said nothing; his only goal was to hurt Spike as quickly as possible.

He stopped short as Buffy stopped his progress, by planting herself in the way, with her arms stretched and pressing against his chest.

Buffy gave him a look he knew well.  

Angel suddenly found his feather covered pants and shoes very interesting.

Buffy then dropped her hands and turned to Spike and gave him the same brassed off look.

Spike dropped his head sheepishly.

"You know, I'm really tempted to let you two beat each other to death."

They both looked up at her.

"However…that wouldn't benefit anything..."

Both of them looked down.

"And without either one of you..."

Buffy shivered at the prospect and then shook it off.

She contemplated the two individuals before her, with her arms crossed.

Angel stood there; trying hard to pretend he didn't look absolutely ridiculous, covered in sticky flour & feathers & he was shooting glares Spike's way.

Spike wasn't gloating… at least not so she could see, but his whole attitude was of subtle pride in what he had done to Angel…if she could see his aura, it would probably be shining brightly with it.

Spike caught her glance & swallowed the evil smirk he was going to send Angel's way.

Buffy caught the gesture & shook her head.

"What am I going to do with you?  You're both like children when you get together… and I'm constantly feeling like a mom loosing the battle when you two get going."

"He started…" Angel started, but was silenced by Buffy's be-quiet gesture & glance.

Angel sighed & tried to evoke her sympathy by giving her a pleading look and glancing down at his feather clad body.

Spike chuckled silently at Angel, making a face similar to the one he had made years ago at him behind Joyce's back when Spike had come back in an attempt to win Dru back; but this time, it was done behind Buffy's back.

He almost waited to hear one of Spike's snarky comments that went with the mocking.

Buffy turned her head and saw the expression Spike was giving Angel & threw her hands up in the air.

"Spike!"

"Wha?" he asked, realizing he had been caught, but trying to appear somewhat innocent.

"Why do I put up with you?" She asked him, very irritated at the moment.

Spike stepped up to her because, even in one of her most dangerous moods, he'd never been afraid of her.

"Cause you think I'm cute."

Buffy burst out laughing.

She stepped up and rested her forehead against Spike's, still laughing.

"Go…be… somewhere else while I talk to Angel, okay?"  
  


Spike attempted a growl.

"And that is so less threatening than it used to be."

Spike wrinkled his nose at her and she chuckled before caressing his face with her hand.

"Please?"  
  


Spike stared into her hazel eyes and sighed deeply, nodding.

_I'm such a poncy git, he thought to himself._

"Yes, but you're **my** poncy git," Buffy told him.

Spike gave her a shocked expression.

"No… you didn't say it out loud, but I know how your mind works," she told him.

"Scary," Angel muttered sarcastically. 

They both gave him twin  'be quiet' glances before turning back to each other.

"Alright…" Spike finally said.

Buffy gave him a bright smile and started to turn towards Angel, but was stopped by Spike's arm on her shoulder.

When she turned back to look at him, he said,

"I've got one request though luv?"  
"What?"  
"No saying **hello** with Peaches this time, alright?"

Buffy smiled softly.

"Well…if I must to keep the peace…then I must."

Spike narrowed his eyes at her, but Buffy just laughed, turned him around & pushed him out the door.

Next she turned to Gunn.

"Aren't ya gonna go with him?" she asked him.

"Why?" Gunn asked, "Spike's a big boy… & he can definitely take care of himself."

"Well…I just figured that since you helped…and now he's gone…and he's free…gettin' the word-picture here, as Spike is so fond of saying?"  
  


Gunn gave Angel a side glance before nodding.

"Got it," he said as he bolted out of the room at top speed.

Buffy, Fred & Wesley laughed as they watched Gunn flee.

Wesley then pulled Buffy to the side, while Fred stepped closer to Angel to tell him that she was gonna go run him a nice warm bath.

"I know that you're anxious to have your say with Angel, but please indulge me for a moment."

At Buffy's raised eyebrow, he said, "I promise I'll be brief…I do somewhat remember your attention span when it comes to stuffy, boring, know-it-all watchers and their lectures."

Buffy had the good grace to look a little sheepish.

Wesley smiled.

"Okay… first question... well, statement.  Giles and I have decided that Spike's new circumstance is definitely unprecedented and we'd like to study him in some depth."

"So why are you questioning me?  Shouldn't you be talking to Spike?"  
"Yes… and I … we will… it's just that we need a comparison to go on…"

"And you'd like the original slayer to be guinea pig to the guinea pig-in-training?"

Wesley shook his head at her phrasing but nodded, she seemed to have the gist.

"Sure… why not…I've got some time to kill…"

"Great."

Buffy nodded.

"Glad to help."

She started to walk over to Angel, when Wesley stopped her with a,

"B...Buffy. One second more please."

Buffy sighed silently, before turning to look at Wesley.

"Yeah?"

"Spike…"

"Yeah?"  
"How…"

"How what Wes?"  
"How do you keep him under control?"  
  


Buffy burst out laughing and patted Wesley's shoulder before walking over to Angel still cracking up.

Wesley was about to follow her when Fred grabbed his hand and attempted to pull him out of the room.

"Fred?"

"They need to talk & Angel needs to get that stuff off of him so he won't be so irritated… must I remind you that a cranky vampire is no one's friend."

"But I was trying…"

"I know… I heard.  She laughed Wesley."

"Yes… that's why…"

"She laughed because she doesn't keep Spike under control."

"I don't' believe that… she has to have some kind of influence over his behavior… look at how quickly he acquiesced to her…"

Fred laid her finger over his lips.

The touch & the intimacy of the gesture shocked Wesley into silence.

Fred giggled at his expression before saying, 

"I think he does what she says because he wants to Wesley.  He loves her."

Wesley blinked slowly, instead of saying anything… her simple touch was causing his brain to shut off.

Fred removed her finger & grabbed his hand instead, pulling them out of the room, and shutting the door behind them.

She was able to do so, easily as Wesley was still too stunned from her action to protest.  

Not mentioning that his lips, still tingling from where she had placed her fingers for a brief second, were another distraction.

After a few moments more, he was able to make his brain & body function together once again.

"Alright, I understand," he said.

Fred gave him a grin over her shoulder & then they entered Angel's room.

Wesley looked confused.

_When the bloody hell had they moved from the other room, he wondered to himself._

But instead of voicing it and having her give him that, you-are-so-silly glance, he just asked,

"What are we doing in Angel's room?"

"Oh… I guess you didn't hear."

"Hear what?"  
"Me and Angel's discussion?"

"Apparently not."

Fred laughed.

"We…are gonna help Angel get more comfortable.  Buffy isn't gonna risk Spike getting to antsy with her talking to Angel for too long… so I figure that they're gonna have a pretty brief conversation.  And when Angel comes down to his room… he's gonna have a nice, steamy warm bath ready to take all that mess off, so he can calm down and be his usual sweet broody self."

Wesley smiled and without saying anything, just merely shaking his head, helped her set the room up.

*****

Back in the other room, Buffy had wandered over to Angel & leaned against the wall next to him.

He gave her a soft look & she smiled in response.

"Has he been this bad all the time?" she asked with a large smile on her face?"

Angel sighed before saying, "No… just most of the time."

Buffy laughed.

Angel sent a glare her way.

"Hey… I didn't do it… don't get all growl-y with me."

Angel rolled his eyes at her & she giggled.

"He got you good though."

"He usually does."

"What else has he done?"  
"Too many things to count."

"Why don't you want to tell me?"  
"Mostly…right now… I just wanna get clean."

Buffy gave him another once over.

"Yeah… in that situation…that would be at the front of my mind as well.  Here… I'll walk you to your room."

They walked in silence for a few seconds before Buffy asked, 

"Who's the almighty Slythin?"

"Huh?"

"The Almighty Slythin… I'm sure I said it right…I memorized it and even got Giles to write it down."  
  


Angel gave her a blank look & then as the sentence began to make a little sense, he gave a brief chuckle.

"What?"

"It's one of Spike's demon hook ups."

"Okay… now I'm really confused."

Angel nodded before saying, 

"Spike, in his almighty wisdom, used a demon he & Dru used to run with, by the name of Slythin, & his resources, to track down where in Cleveland you all had gone to.  Slythin then found you & sent his emissaries to you, which got you to come here.  Got it?"  
"Got it."

"But we don't call him the Almighty anything, though… where did you get that name?"  
"One of the first batch."

"Huh?"

"One of his demons, from the first batch that he sent to send us the message.  I can say now, I'm a little ashamed.  We used him as a practice tool… opponents and training for the newest batch of slayers… but that's only cause instead of announcing themselves, they snuck up and attacked us from behind…how were we supposed to know they were delivering a message."

Angel smiled, showing her he understood.

Buffy nodded before continuing, "Anyway, as this weird demon….oh what was his name again…Kel…Kello…Kellogg?"

"No… that's a cereal."

Buffy gave him a look and rolled her eyes before continuing, "Whatever his name was, as he was dying he said, ' The Almighty Slythin will not take kindly to our demise, as we are but a few in his vast and strong army.  Prepare yourself for his wrath.' He went on and on until he was stopped."

Buffy started to chuckle as she remembered how one of the 'Brat Pack', as Spike had just called them, had wandered over to the dying demon and said, 

"Yeah, yeah… we've heard this bit before.  'We'll soon be avenged slayers'… 'you're time is limited'… blah, blah blah…shut up and die already, the new Survivor is on the TV tonight and we want to catch the end of it."

Then she had stuck her foot on his head and pushed down, causing the already squishy & decaying head to cave in, finally putting the demon out of its misery.  
  


Buffy still couldn't suppress the shiver that ran through her when the younger slayer had done that.

Sometimes the girl reminded her of the way Faith used to be.

The only reason Buffy had brought the girl, besides she fought well, was because Faith had practically begged her.  

Apparently, having someone around with the same kind of attitudes you once had, but had matured from, didn't help when you were already short-tempered.

The thought of the way Faith had begged her to take her before she started on killing humans again made Buffy chuckle.

"What's so funny?" Angel asked, so she told him all of it.

Angel smiled.

 "So… you and Faith are doing okay?"  
"We've gotten out of the kill or hurt each other stage….there's still a way to go… but at least…I think…I believe she wants us to work out this time… and I'm willing to give her another chance."

Angel nodded as they reached his room and he pushed open the door.

"Good to hear it."

Buffy smiled at him briefly.

"Well… you should go… and get… un-feathered."

"You can come in and wait if you want."

"No…I've been away from him for too long already…I'm sure he's imagining all sorts of things."

Angel gave her a brief look before stepping inside of his room.

"So… you're done baking?"  
"Angel…" she started softly.

"No… I… I understand…you said years… if ever… and..."

"I'll always love you Angel…"

"As I will you."

"But you don't love me the same way either, you know."

Angel sighed… 

"Yeah… I know.  But the thought of Spike beating me out…"

Buffy wasn't sure whether to laugh or be upset.

She settled for a little of both.

She chuckled briefly and then told him, 

"It's not all about you, ya know."

"A vamp can dream."

Buffy laughed.

Then she sobered.

"I heard about Cordelia…I'm sorry.  Do you think she'll ever wake up?"

"I hope so."

Buffy stepped closer…and then thought about it and stopped.

"I was gonna hug you… but two things just stopped me."

"What?"  
"One…your still covered in feathers… and I don't want that one me."

"And two?"  
"Spike'll know you touched me."

"He doesn't have his vampire senses anymore… he can't smell things the same."

"Maybe not… but we're still in the new stage… and when it comes to you…I'm not pushing his limit, he's twitchy enough around you as it is."

Angel nodded.

"But that doesn't mean I won't get on his case about tormenting you… we're friends right?"

Angel nodded…a wicked gleam lighting up his eyes at the thought of Spike getting in trouble for all the ways he had pranked him over the months.

Buffy saw the look and smiled, and then, with a wicked gleam of her own, she said, however… if you ever retaliated… I'm gonna have to cheer him on for getting you back.

Angel looked at her and Buffy laughed, prancing off towards the lobby to find her crew and Spike.

TBC…


	8. Eighth Chapter: Bout Bloody Time

From the End to a New Beginning                                 Chapter 8

Buffy quickly made her way back down to the lobby, after leaving Angel to his room & awaiting bath.

Walking through the archway at the top of the stairs, she paused to check out the scene below her.

She could see three people in the lobby area: two were sitting side by side on the round couch that was in the center of the lobby.  The third, however, was on the move.

Buffy sighed silently.

Spike was pacing.

_This is so not a good thing, she thought._

She knew she had spent way too long talking with Angel.  

She shuddered to think just what he was thought was going on between them.

She sighed again.

As she started down the stairs, she caught Gunn's eyes.

'How long has he been doing that?' she mouthed to him.

Gunn glanced over at Spike who was not only pacing back and forth, but was muttering to himself as well.

'For a while now,' he mouthed back.

Buffy nodded and then continued to come down the stairs.

Spike, finally noticing her, stopped mid stride.

Buffy gave him a small smile, but let it waver out when she realized that Spike wasn't smiling at her and had narrowed his eyes at her.

She shook her head ruefully and, not being one to back down even when things looked dreary, walked over until she was about a foot in front of him.

Spike gave her a look as if he were trying to see in her and around her at the same time.

Buffy let out an exasperated breath.

"Oh come on now Spike.  I didn't do anything with him but talk, so you can cut the jealous boyfriend crap… alright?"  
  


At Spike's lift of his eyebrow she said,

"You know… this little scene is one part adorable and two parts annoying.  If you have something to say… say it… to me."

As she spoke, she placed her hands on her hips and stood in a challenging stance.

Spike couldn't help but appreciate the way she always stood up to him.  
  


"What took you so long?" was all he said, and softly at that.

"I got lost coming down the stairs?" she teased.

Spike's mouth twitched, but he wasn't giving in so easily.

Buffy almost laughed, but was able to catch herself.

"I saw you walking around… did someone give you too much caffeine again… or were you guys playing musical chairs?"

Gunn and Lorne chuckled.

Spike's mouth twitched again… he was still trying to fight it… _damn her and her hold on his emotions, he thought_.  

Buffy saw the way his mouth was curving up.

She decided to give him a bit of a reprieve.

She looked Lorne's way.

"What kind of demon are you?"  
"They call me the Host."

"And what's that?"  
"I'm an empath…sort of."  
"Yeah… he reads your aura and can tell your thoughts, etc when you sing for him," Gunn explained.  
"Neat."

"It is… most of the time, Sweetcakes.  But sometimes it can be a real …"

"Especially when Angel sings," Gunn said, interrupting him.

"Please don't remind me… I'm still trying to block the image from the last time that happened."

Gunn and Lorne both shivered.

"Angel can't sing?" Buffy asked, with a smile.

"No," Gunn and Lorne said together.

Buffy giggled before looking over at Spike, who had a very bored look on his face.

"Spike sings nicely," Buffy said.

Spike looked at her.

Buffy winked at him.

"You think so, luv?"  
"Didn't hurt my ears a bit."

"You never did answer my question luv," he said, ignoring her teasing tone.

"Which one," Buffy asked, stalling.

Spike gave her a look saying he had a pretty good idea what she was doing.

Buffy smiled wickedly at him in return.

"You know which one Slayer."

"Oh… that… we were talking."

"What about?"

"You mostly."  
"Me?"  
"Uh huh."

"What about me?"  
"Angel was telling me how much a pain in the butt you've been."  
  


Spike smiled remembering all the tricks he had pulled on Angel during the past few months and then realized his glee was showing and quickly shut it down.

"I don't know what Peaches told you, but…"

"Spike…don't even try it… I saw one of your pranks.  A cross dome…feathers…sticky flour paste… ring any bells with you?"

Spike walked away from her, running his hands through his hair as he tried to come up quickly with a lie that would make it seem like he wasn't trying to torture Angel for the pure hell of it.

"It wasn't like that Buffy…luv… really.  See…what Gunn and I were doing… we were making um… Holiday Cards…yeah…"

"Holiday…cards?" Buffy asked, raising her eyebrow skeptically at him.

No way did she believe him, but she wanted to see what he would come up with.

"Yeah… see… Angel always seems so…dark and foreboding…right?"  
  


Buffy nodded her head slightly…to get him to continue.

"Well… we figured that if we sent out pictures of Angel looking absolutely ridiculous…it would improve his image…and people would see him as the kind of vamp they want to protect them from danger, right Gunn?"  
  


Gunn raised his eye at him.

"You want me to sink on that ship with you, huh?"

Spike sent him a glare.

Gunn turned toward Buffy.

"Yep…that's right.  It was all about making Angel seem like the hero vamp we all know him to be; instead of the big, hulking scary looking guy who doesn't say much and stares at you that he can appear to be, when you don't know him."

Buffy rolled her eyes at them.

"Please."  
  


Lorne was too busy laughing at the whole situation to lend a hand to either side.

Buffy sauntered over to Spike, once she was a few inches from him she stopped.

"You really expect me to believe all that?"  
"It was worth a try."

Buffy laughed.

"Spike…"

"Hmm?"  
"He's gonna tell me… you know.  Everything you've done to him…for as long as you've been here…and probably some of the ones from when you and Dru were with him before…if he hadn't been so uncomfortable and if I hadn't wanted to be down here with you so much… I'd have made him tell me."

Spike was stunned…

"You wanted to be with me?"  
"Yes."

"Why?"

Buffy stepped closer.

"Cause I love you, you dunce."  
  


Spike stepped closer and gathered her in his arms.

"Please tell me I'm not dreaming.  
"You look awake to me."

"Say it again."

"Say what again?"  
"Buffy…"

"You're a dunce." Buffy told him laughing.

"You want me to shake you, don't ya pet?"  
  


Buffy laughed.

"Please," he whispered softly at her.

"I…love…you."

"Bout bloody time," Spike said before pulling her even closer and lowering his lips to hers.

TBC   
  



End file.
